Extruded Gelling Food Products, Extruded Gelling Food Product Ingredients, and Methods for Making Extruded Gelling Food Products and Extruded Food Product Ingredients

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to an extruded food product constituent composed of a gelling food product constituent extrudate and method of extruding a gelling food product constituent extrudate used as an ingredient of a food product normally using a gelling gum, like guar gum, xanthan gum or carrageenan as an ingredient. The gelling food product extrudate is composed of cold-water soluble gelling pregelatinized starch formed of starch in a starch-containing admixture modified by extrusion at extrusion pressures greater than 2000 PSI that gels when mixed with water, which preferably also modifies additional starch or starches in the admixture into a plurality of different molecular weight polymers of a cold-water soluble gellant that polymerize forming a gel when mixed with water, preferably forming a hydrocolloid gel, which more preferably is a self-gelling gel, which even more preferably is a thermo-reversible gel crosslinked by one or more proteins freed by or modified during extrusion. Preferred admixtures configured to produce gelling extrudates include admixtures composed of cereal grains, including sorghum, wheat, oats, barley and/or corn, and/or legumes, including chick pea, yellow pea, pea and/or lentils with legume containing admixtures producing gelling extrudates that form thicker gels whose viscosity increases over time that are well suited for use in non-dairy dairy substitutes like non-dairy butter, non-dairy creamers, non-dairy whipped cream, non-dairy yogurt, non-dairy cream cheese, non-dairy cheese, and non-dairy ice cream.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/702,534, filed Dec. 3, 2019, and inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/631,986, filed Jul. 17, 2020, theentirety of both of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference. This application also claims priority in U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 63/220,506 filed Jul. 10, 2021, and in U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/220,560 filed Jul. 11, 2021,the entirety of both of which are hereby expressly incorporated hereinby reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of food science.More particularly, the present invention relates to (a) extruded foodproducts including extruded instantized food products, extruded pregelfood products, and extruded gelling food products, (b) extruded foodproduct constituents used as ingredients of food products includingextruded instantized food product constituents, extruded pregel foodproduct constituents, and extruded gelling food product constituents,(c) methods of making the same by extrusion including methods of makingextruded instantized food products and extruded instantized food productconstituents used as ingredients in food products, extruded pregel foodproducts and extruded pregel food product constituents used asingredients in food products, and extruded gelling food products andextruded gelling food product constituents used as ingredients in foodproducts, and (d) food products made with extruded instantized foodproduct constituents used as ingredients therein, extruded pregel foodproduct constituents used as ingredients therein, and extruded gellingfood product constituents used as ingredients therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many types and varieties of food products that the consumercan purchase at their local grocery store with ever more choices beingmade available to them every year. There are many types of conventionalfood products that have always been available for consumer purchaseincluding meats and meat products, dairy products including milk, cream,whipped cream, cream cheese, cheese, and ice cream, and ready-to-eatfood products like microwavable “TV” dinners, wet semisolid pureed babyfood, porridges, and puddings, to name a few.

More recently, there has been a proliferation of dozens of newalternative food products providing more health and wellness consciousconsumers with food product choices like meatless meat substitutes akameatless meat substitute food products and non-dairy dairy substitutesaka non-dairy dairy substitute food products. Meatless meat-substitutesare typically gluten free and can be vegan, have a base made ofprocessed vegetable ingredients like soy protein concentrate, texturedpea protein, textured wheat protein, rice protein, along with one ormore oils like canola oil, palm oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil, withthe base of certain types of commercially available meatless meatsubstitutes made of (i) textured pea protein blend composed of peaprotein, fermented pea and rice protein, canola oil and palm oil used tomake meatless plant-based ground beef style or flavored burgers, (ii)textured pea protein, textured wheat protein, palm oil, coconut oil andvital wheat gluten also used to make meatless plant-based beef style orflavored burgers, (iii) soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, andsunflower oil also used to make plant-based meatless beef style orflavored burgers, (iv) soy protein concentrate, expeller pressed canolaoil, refined coconut oil, soy flour, isolated soy protein, andmethylcellulose also used to make a meatless plant-based beef style orflavored burger, (v) soy protein concentrate, expeller pressed canolaoil, refined coconut oil, soy flour, and isolated soy protein used tomake meatless plant-based chicken style or flavored burgers, (vi)textured soybean protein, soybean protein powder and wheat proteinconcentrate used to make vegan meatless chicken, and (vii) pea protein,refined coconut oil and sunflower oil used to make a meatlessplant-based sausage.

Non-dairy dairy food product substitutes are typically gluten free andcan also be vegan, include (a) non-dairy milks (aka milk substitutes,milk alternatives, or alternative milks) are made of a base typicallycomposed o (i) almonds, (ii) sprouted almonds, (iii) soybeans, (iv) oatsthat are typically processed to be gluten free, (v) flax or flaxseedoil, e.g., cold-pressed flaxseed oil, (vi) oat and flaxseed, (vii)bananas and sunflower seed, (viii) coconuts, or (ix) cashews, (b)non-dairy creamers or creamer alternatives typically are made with abase composed of (i) coconut, (ii) coconut cream, (iii) macadamias, (iv)almonds, (v) almond milk, (vi) almonds and coconut cream, (vii) oats, or(viii) soy, (c) non-dairy whipped creams (aka whipped cream substitutes,whipped cream alternatives, or alternative whipped creams) are made of abase typically composed of (i) soy, (ii) rice, (iii) almonds, (iv)coconut cream, (v) oats, or (vi) palm kernel oil, tapioca syrup, tapiocamaltodextrin, and soy protein concentrate, (d) non-dairy yogurts (akayogurt substitutes, yogurt alternatives, or alternative yogurts) aremade of a base typically composed of (i) coconut water and coconutcream, (ii) almond milk and almonds, (iii) coconut milk, (iv) soymilkmade of soybeans, (v) coconuts, (vi) almond milk from almonds and rolledoats, (vii) cashewmilk from cashews, or (viii) coconuts and cashewmilk,(e) non-dairy butters (aka butter substitutes, butter alternatives, oralternative butters), which are typically also gluten free and many ofwhich are also vegan, whose base is typically made of (i) coconut oil,potatoes, carrots and sunflower oil, (ii) coconut oil, sunflower oil andcashews, (iii) sunflower oil, almond milk, and coconut oil, (iv) coconutoil, cashewmilk, and sunflower oil, or (v) sunflower oil, oat milk, andcoconut oil, (f) non-dairy cream cheeses (aka cream cheese substitutes,cream cheese alternatives, or alternative cream cheeses) are made of abase typically composed of (i) almond milk, (ii) soy, (iii) oats, (iv)coconuts, (v) coconut milk, or (vi) cashews, (g) non-dairy cheeses (akacheese substitutes, cheese alternatives, or alternative cheeses) aremade of a base typically composed of (i) coconut oil and potato starch(non-dairy feta style and/or flavored alternative), (ii) coconut oil,potato-corn starch, and potato starch (non-dairy cheddar and provolonestyle and/or flavored cheese alternatives), (iii) coconut oil, modifiedpotato and corn starches, and potato starch (non-dairy provolone styleand/or flavored cheese alternative), (iv) coconut oil, modified potatoand corn starches, and potato starch (non-dairy American style and/orflavored cheese alternative), (v) an almond milk (non-dairy ricottastyle and/or flavored cheese alternative), (vi) expeller blend of palmfruit oil, soybean oil, and olive oil (non-dairy ricotta flavored and/orstyle cheese alternative), (vii) an almond base (non-dairy mozzarellastyle and/or flavored cheese alternative), (viii) tapioca starch,coconut oil, expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil (non-dairyHavarti style and/or flavored cheese alternative), or (ix) coconut oil,modified potato and corn starches, potato starch, and ground sunflowerkernels (non-dairy Colby Jack style and/or flavored cheese alternative),and (h) non-dairy ice creams (aka ice cream substitutes, ice creamalternatives, or alternative ice creams), which are typically alsogluten free and many of which are also vegan, have a base typically madeof (i) almonds, (ii) almond milk, (iii) coconut, (iv) coconut cream, (v)coconut milk, (vi) banana and coconut cream, (vii) cashew milk, (viii)oat milk and coconut oil, (ix) soy, (x) pea protein and coconut oil,(xi) avocado, or (xii) peanuts.

The base of nearly all the above-described non-dairy dairy alternativefood products, aka dairy substitute food products or dairy substitutes,are made using relatively costly, time consuming, and energy intensiveprocesses and typically are composed of ground or otherwise processedgrains, such as oats and rice, legumes, such as soybeans, and nuts, suchas almonds and cashews, which, along with water, makeup the principalingredients of these food products by weight percentage. The base ofmany of non-dairy substitute food products are made by processing thegrains, such as oats and rice, legumes, such as soybeans, and nuts, suchas almonds and cashews, that make up their primary ingredients in amanner that retains or isolates one or more of their protein, starches,and fiber, such as by, grinding, cooking, e.g., enzyme cooking withamylase, and separating constituents, such as to remove either theirfiber or both their proteins and fiber, typically via filtration, tothereby produce a dairy-substitute food product base, typically in theform of a slurry, to which additional ingredients are added in lesseramounts along with one or more additional process steps performed, suchas mixing, cooking, and/or cooling, to obtain the finisheddairy-substitute food product.

Additional ingredients, including one or more gums, are typically addedto these non-dairy dairy substitute food product bases in lesser amountsor lesser weight percentages. Among these ingredients added in smallamounts are conventional gums, such as one or more of acacia gum, gellangum, locust bean gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, tara gum,and/or carrageenan, in an amount that is at least two percent by weightof the base and/or finished non-dairy food product, and which typicallyranges between two percent and three percent of one or more of thesegums by weight of the base and/or finished non-dairy food product.

Gums, are also known as hydrocolloids or polysaccharides, are veryversatile biopolymers that have widespread use in the food sector asfunctional ingredients or function additives as their varied molecularpolysaccharide compositions gives them certain properties, such asgelling, thickening, moisture retention, emulsification, andstabilization, which are very useful in the food industry. The term“gum” is generally used to define hydrophilic or hydrophobic moleculesof high molar mass, which have colloidal properties. Gums arepolysaccharides which are complex carbohydrates that are soluble inwater, which can form gels and mucilages. Gums typically have gellingcharacteristics, thickening characteristics, moisture retention,emulsification characteristics and stabilization properties and haveapplications as gelling agents, thickening agents, humectants, viscositymodifies, emulsifiers, and stabilizers in the food industry. Gums arewidely used in the food industry in confectionery food products, as icecream stabilizers, food emulsions, thickeners or thickening agents,viscosity controllers or viscosity control agents, in themicroencapsulation of flavors and dyes, clarifiers, and beveragestabilizers. Gums are widely used in many types of food products,including creams, sauces, soups, porridges, puddings, ice creams,meatless meat-substitutes, and non-dairy dairy substitutes, includingvirtually all of the non-dairy dairy substitutes discussed above.

In one known non-dairy dairy substitute or dairy alternative foodproduct base, a multi-gum blend having at least a plurality of xanthangum, guar gum, and carrageenan, which in one multi-gum blend formulationcontains all three of these conventional gums, is used in an amount ofat least two percent and no more than five percent by weight of the baseor finished non-dairy food product, and which typically contains betweentwo percent and three percent by weight of this three-gum blend. Notonly are all these conventional gums quite costly to produce, but manyof these conventional gums produce a non-dairy dairy substitute foodproduct where one or more of its texture, consistency, flavor, aroma,and/or mouthfeel differ from and typically are less desirable comparedto the corresponding texture, consistency, flavor, aroma, and/ormouthfeel its actual dairy food product counterpart. In addition, manyof these conventional gums have limitations that restricts their use tocertain types of foods.

What is needed is a gelling food product constituent that can be used asa food product ingredient and which gels and/or which produces a gelupon wetting with water that can be substituted in place of at leastsome of these conventional gums used in food products, includingmeatless meat-substitute food products and non-dairy dairy substitute ordairy alternative food products thereby reducing the amount ofconventional gums actually used in these food products. What also isneeded is a gelling food product constituent that is a conventional gumsubstitute or conventional gum replacement used in place of conventionalgum(s) as an ingredient in food products that have typically requiredconventional gum(s) in the past.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an extruded gelling food productconstituent that is composed of a gelling food product constituentextrudate extruded from a starch-containing admixture subjected tosufficiently high extrusion pressures and extrusion conditions within anextruder to modify, preferably physically modify, starch in theadmixture into a water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant thatgels and/or forms a gel when wetted with water, thereby configuring thegelling food product constituent extrudate and extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of the gelling food product constituentextrudate to gel and/or form a gel when wetted with water. As discussedin more detail below, in one preferred embodiment, other starch of thestarch-containing admixture is modified, preferably also physicallymodified, by the high extrusion pressure and extrusion conditions withinthe extruder such that pregelatinized starch also is formed in thegelling food product constituent extrudate producing an extruded gellingfood product constituent in accordance with the present inventionconfigured with two-component gelling, with one gelling componentprovided by the water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant in thegelling food product constituent extrudate, and the other gellingcomponent provided by the water-soluble pregelatinized starch in thegelling food product constituent extrudate. As discussed herein in moredetail, the resultant extruded gelling food product constituent iscomminuted into relatively small particles sizes having the size ofgrits, powder or flour for use as a food product ingredient. Where theextruded gelling food product constituent is solely composed of gellingfood product constituent extrudate and contains no other constituents,the gelling food product constituent extrudate is comminuted duringextrusion into pellets or granules that are further comminuted bygrinding or milling into smaller sized particles having the size ofgrits, powder or preferably flour used as a food product ingredient.

In one preferred embodiment, the extrusion pressures and extrusionconditions within the extruder modify some of the starch in thestarch-containing admixture into a plurality of different molecularweight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatform the water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant that polymerizeinto a hydrocolloid gel when wetted with and preferably mixed withwater. In another preferred embodiment, the extrusion pressures andextrusion conditions within the extruder also modify and/or free up someof the protein or proteins in the starch-containing admixture into acrosslinker that forms part of the water-soluble extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant that cros slinks the plurality of different molecularweight starch polymers or starch-based polymers of the gellant whenwetted with and preferably mixed with water. In one such preferredembodiment where the water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellantcontains both (a) extrusion-modified starch or starches that forms aplurality of different molecular weight extrusion-modified starchpolymers or different molecular weight extrusion-modified starch-basedpolymers, and (b) extrusion-modified or extrusion-freed protein orproteins that crosslink the different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch-based polymers when an extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of food product constituent extrudatecontaining such an extrusion-modified starch polymer and proteincrosslinker starch gellant is wetted with water, the resultantself-gelling gel formed preferably is a thermoreversible gel.

In a preferred embodiment, the water-soluble extrusion-modified starchgellant is a cold-water soluble hydrocolloid when wetted with roomtemperature water mixed therewith that forms a gel, preferably aself-gelling gel, which is thermally stable, and which preferablyproduces thermally and shelf-life stable food emulsions when used as aningredient of a food product. In one such preferred embodiment, theextruded gelling food product constituent is composed of gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate that not only contains water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant but also contains pregelatinizedstarch formed of other starch in the admixture modified, preferably alsophysically modified by extrusion pressure during extrusion inpregelatinized starch, which also gels when wetted with water mixedtherewith producing a dual-gelling component gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing one gelling component, namelywater-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant that gels when wetted,but also a second gelling component, namely pregelatinized starch thatalso gels when wetted.

In a preferred method and embodiment, the cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant is present at a great enough weightpercent of at least five percent, preferably at least ten percent, morepreferably at least fifteen percent, within the resultant gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate that imparts a gelling property throughoutthe entire extrudate and extruded food product constituent composed ofthe gelling extrudate when wetted with water mixed uniformly using amixer that preferably is a high shear mixer. In another preferred methodand embodiment where the gelling food product constituent extrudate is adual-gelling component extrudate, (a) the cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant is present at a great enough weightpercent of at least five percent, preferably at least ten percent, morepreferably at least fifteen percent, within the resultant gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate, and (b) the cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch pregelatinized starch is present at a greatenough weight percent of at least five percent, preferably at least tenpercent, more preferably at least fifteen percent, within the resultantgelling food product constituent extrudate, whereby both gellingcomponents synergistically impart a gelling property throughout theentire extrudate and extruded food product constituent composed of thegelling extrudate when wetted with water mixed uniformly therewith usinga mixer that preferably is a high shear mixer.

A preferred embodiment of an extruded gelling food product constituentof the present invention is composed of water-soluble extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant that is cold water soluble that gels and preferably formsa gel when wetted with water that is mixed therewith, preferably using amixer that more preferably is a high shear mixer, that is a conventionalgum substitute or conventional gum replacement that more preferably is aguar gum replacement or guar gum substitute that replaces guar gum as aningredient of a food product. In another preferred embodiment, extrudedgelling food product constituent is composed of gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing water-soluble extrusion-modified starchgellant and which is configured to be a conventional gum substitute orconventional gum replacement that replaces or substitutes for at leastone of xanthan gum and carrageenan as an ingredient of a food productthat would ordinarily require one or more such conventional gums. Inanother preferred embodiment, the extruded gelling food productconstituent composed of gelling food product constituent extrudatecontaining water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant configuredfor use as at least one or both of the aforementioned conventional gumsubstitutes or replacements is also composed of a second gellingcomponent in the form of pregelatinized starch formed from other starchmodified during extrusion as discussed in more detail above andelsewhere herein.

A preferred embodiment of an extruded gelling food product constituentis composed of gelling food product constituent extrudate thatconfigures the extruded gelling food product constituent to be used asan ingredient in one or more of the different types of theabove-identified non-dairy dairy substitute or dairy alternative foodproducts as discussed in more detail hereinbelow. In one such preferredembodiment, the extruded gelling food product constituent is composed ofgelling food product constituent extrudate that configures the extrudedgelling food product constituent to be used as an ingredient that is areplacement or substitute for one or more conventional gum(s) used inone or more of the different types of the above-identified non-dairydairy substitute or dairy alternative food products. In another suchpreferred embodiment, the extruded gelling food product constituent iscomposed of gelling food product constituent extrudate that configuresthe extruded gelling food product constituent that is a gum replacementor gum substitute that at least partially and preferably completelyreplaces at least one conventional gum, preferably more than oneconventional gum, and preferably all of the conventional gums previouslyused in at least one of the one or more of the different types of theabove-identified non-dairy dairy substitute or dairy alternative foodproducts. In at least one preferred embodiment, the extruded gellingfood product constituent composed of gelling food product constituentextrudate containing water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellantconfigured for use as an ingredient in one or more of the aforementionednon-dairy dairy substitute or dairy alternative food products is alsocomposed of a second gelling component in the form of pregelatinizedstarch formed from other starch modified during extrusion as discussedin more detail above and elsewhere herein.

Another preferred embodiment of an extruded gelling food productconstituent is composed of gelling food product constituent extrudatethat configures the extruded gelling food product constituent to be usedas an ingredient in one or more of the different types of theabove-identified meatless meat-substitute food products also discussedin more detail hereinbelow. In another such preferred embodiment, theextruded gelling food product constituent is composed of gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate that configures the extruded gelling foodproduct constituent to be used as an ingredient that is a replacement orsubstitute for one or more conventional gum(s) used in one or more ofthe different types of the above-identified meatless meat-substitutefood products. In at least one preferred embodiment, the extrudedgelling food product constituent composed of gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing water-soluble extrusion-modified starchgellant configured for use as an ingredient in one or more of theaforementioned meatless meat-substitute food products is also composedof a second gelling component in the form of pregelatinized starchformed from other starch modified during extrusion as discussed in moredetail above and elsewhere herein. In at least one such gum-replacementembodiment, the extruded gelling food product constituent composed ofgelling food product constituent extrudate containing water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant configured for use as agum-replacement ingredient in a food product is also composed of asecond gelling component in the form of pregelatinized starch formedfrom other starch modified during extrusion as discussed in more detailabove and elsewhere herein.

Such an extruded gelling food product constituent is composed of agelling food product constituent extrudate of the present inventionconfigured for the extruded gelling food product constituent to be usedas a food product ingredient that is at least one of (a) a gellingagent, preferably a conventional gum substitute, (b) a thickener orthickening agent, preferably to thicken soups, porridges, sauces,dressings, creams, and puddings, (c) an emulsifier or emulsifying agent,preferably used to make food emulsions, (d) a humectant, to retain orabsorb moisture in a food product, and/or (e) stabilizer or stabilizingagent, to prevent separation in emulsions used in dressings, and/orpreventing ice crystal formation in ice cream. In one preferredembodiment, the gelling food product constituent extrudate configuresthe extruded gelling food product constituent as a food productingredient that is at least a plurality of (a)-(e) with the extrudedgelling food product constituent being used as one of (a)-(e) when usedas an ingredient in one type of food product and being used as adifferent one of (a)-(e) when used as an ingredient in a different typeof food product. In another preferred embodiment, the gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate is configured such that the extrudedgelling food product constituent is a food product ingredient that is atleast a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of (a)-(e), with itbeing used as a first one of (a)-(e) when used as an ingredient in afirst type of food product, being used as a second one of (a)-(e) whenused as an ingredient in a second type of food product, and being usedas a third one of (a)-(e) when used as an ingredient in a third type offood product. In at least one such embodiment of a gelling agent,thickening agent, emulsifier humectant and/or stabilizer, the extrudedgelling food product constituent composed of gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing water-soluble extrusion-modified starchgellant configured for use as one or more of a gelling agent, thickeningagent, emulsifier humectant and/or stabilizer in a food product is alsocomposed of a second gelling component in the form of pregelatinizedstarch formed from other starch modified during extrusion as discussedin more detail above and elsewhere herein.

In a method of making an extruded gelling food product constituent inaccordance with the present invention, an admixture composed of at least10%, preferably at least 15%, and more preferably at least 25% starchhaving a moisture content no greater than 25%, preferably no greaterthan 20%, more preferably no greater than about 17%±2%, is extrudedusing an extruder that preferably is a single screw extruder at anextrusion pressure that preferably is an ultrahigh extrusion pressure ofat least 2000 PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably atleast 4000 PSI, and even more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for arelatively short residency time of no more than 30 seconds, preferablyno more than 20 seconds, more preferably no more than 10 seconds, andeven more preferably no more than about 7 seconds±1 second within theextruder, which modifies, preferably physically modifies at least someof the starch in the admixture into a cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant, before gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing the cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the extrudate is discharged through a perforate extrusion dieat a discharge end of the extruder. During extrusion, thestarch-containing admixture is subjected to an extrusion temperature ofat least 100° Celsius and preferably at least 130° Celsius at suchultrahigh extrusion pressures. In order to preserve and freeze the coldwater-soluble gelling and/or cold-water soluble gel forming propertiesof the cold water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellantsubstantially uniformly distributed throughout the gelling food productconstituent extrudate, the gelling food product constituent extrudate iscooled and dried after the gelling food product constituent extrudateexits the extrusion die in a manner that cools and dries the extrudateso without the application of any heat to the extrudate.

In at least one preferred extruded gelling food product constituentand/or gelling food product constituent extrudate method ofmanufacturing, the starch-containing admixture is extruded at anultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 7,500 PSI, can be andpreferably is extruded in at least one method at an extrusion pressureof at least 10,000 PSI, and in at least one other method is extruded atan extrusion pressure of at least 15,000 PSI. In yet another method ofextruding preferred extruded gelling food product constituent and/orgelling food product constituent extrudate, the starch-containingadmixtures is extruded at an extrusion pressure of at least 20,000 PSI.

In a preferred method, the gelling food product constituent extrudate iscomminuted into pellets or granules upon being discharged from theextrusion die, such as by a high speed rotary knife, which is thencooled and dried, without being heated, by turbulently flowing air,preferably room temperature turbulently flowing air that has atemperature of about 68° Fahrenheit±12 degrees Fahrenheit, whichturbulently flowing air also used to transport the pellets or granulesof the gelling food product constituent extrudate away from theextruder. In one such preferred method, the turbulently flowing roomtemperature air has a low enough temperature and a high enoughvolumetric flow rate of at least 300 cubic feet per minute, preferablyat least 500 cubic feet per minute, and more preferably at least 800cubic feet minute when flowing from a generally airtightly sealed knifecage enclosing the extruder die at the discharge end of the extruderthrough an elongate duct of a pneumatic conveyor to both cool and drythe pellets or granules of the gelling food product constituentextrudate the entire time being transported through the duct thereby (a)reducing the temperature of the pellets or granules of the gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate by at least 30° Fahrenheit, preferably atleast 40° Fahrenheit, and more preferably at least 50° Fahrenheit fromthe temperature at which the extrudate exited the extrusion die, and (b)reducing the moisture content of the pellets or granules of the gellingfood product constituent extrudate by at least 3% by pellet or granuleweight, preferably at least 4% by pellet or granule weight, and morepreferably at least 5% by pellet or granule weight from the moisturecontent of the extrudate exiting the extrusion die. In one suchpreferred embodiment, such a cooling and drying without heating stepusing such turbulently flowing air dries the pellets or granules ofgelling food product constituent extrudate to a moisture content ofbetween 3% and 12% moisture content by pellet weight, preferably between4% and 10% moisture content by pellet weight, and more preferablybetween 5% and 8% moisture content by pellet weight.

In a preferred method of making gelling food product constituentextrudate of the present invention, the aforementioned ultrahighextrusion pressures and extruder parameters are configured or furtherconfigured to modify, preferably physically modify, other starch orother starches in the starch-containing admixture into a cold watersoluble pregelatinized starch contained in the gelling food productconstituent extrudate extruded from the extruder that also gels whenwetted and preferably mixed with water thereby forming a dual gellingcomponent gelling food product constituent extrudate of anotherpreferred extruded gelling food product constituent embodiment of thepresent invention. As previously discussed, such a dual gellingcomponent extrudate contains both cold water soluble pregelatinizedstarch and cold water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant with thepregelatinized starch component gelling and preferably forming astarch-type gel of starch in suspension, and the extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant gelling and preferably forming a hydrocolloid gel thatpreferably is in the form of a temperature stable and physically stableemulsion, preferably food emulsion, when wetted with water and morepreferably thoroughly mixed with water using a mixer that preferably isa high-shear mixer or the like.

In one preferred single gelling component or dual gelling componentembodiment, starches in the starch-containing admixture are modifiedduring ultrahigh pressure extrusion using an extruder that preferably isa single screw extruder subjecting starches in the starch-containingadmixture to an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI,preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 4000 PSI, andeven more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for a relatively short residencytime of no more than 30 seconds, preferably no more than 20 seconds,more preferably no more than 10 seconds, and even more preferably nomore than about 7 seconds±1 second within the extruder thereby ultrahighpressure extrusion modifying, preferably physically modifying, starch orstarches in the admixture into a plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers that formthe water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant that polymerize intoa hydrocolloid gel when wetted with water and preferably when a granularextruded gelling food product constituent composed of gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate containing the plurality of differentmolecular weight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-basedpolymers is mixed with water using a mixer that preferably is a highshear mixer. As previously discussed, other starches in thestarch-containing admixture can be and preferably are modified,preferably physically modified, into pregelatinized starch that formsthe second gelling component of a dual gelling component gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate of a dual gelling component extrudedgelling food product constituent of the present invention.

In another preferred single gelling component or dual gelling componentembodiment, the above starch-containing admixture also contains proteinor proteins that together with the starch or starches in the admixtureare subjected ultrahigh pressure extrusion in an extruder thatpreferably is a single screw extruder at an ultrahigh extrusion pressureof at least 2000 PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably atleast 4000 PSI, and even more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for arelatively short residency time of no more than 30 seconds, preferablyno more than 20 seconds, more preferably no more than 10 seconds, andeven more preferably no more than about 7 seconds±1 second within theextruder ultrahigh pressure extrusion modifying, preferably physicallymodifying, (a) starch or starches in the admixture into a plurality ofdifferent molecular weight extrusion-modified starch polymers orstarch-based polymers that form the water-soluble extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant that polymerize into a hydrocolloid gel when wetted withwater, and (b) protein or proteins in the admixture into a crosslinkerin the gellant that crosslink the plurality of different molecularweight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted and preferably mixed with water preferablyforming a self-gelling hydrocolloid gel. In still another preferredsingle gelling component or dual gelling component embodiment, thestarch-containing admixture also contains protein or proteins thattogether with the starch or starches in the admixture are subjectedultrahigh pressure extrusion in an extruder that preferably is a singlescrew extruder at an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI,preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 4000 PSI, andeven more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for a relatively short residencytime of no more than 30 seconds, preferably no more than 20 seconds,more preferably no more than 10 seconds, and even more preferably nomore than about 7 seconds±1 second within the extruder ultrahighpressure extrusion modifying, preferably physically modifying, starch orstarches in the admixture into a plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers that formthe water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant that polymerize intoa hydrocolloid gel when wetted with water, and (a) modifying, preferablyphysically modifying protein or proteins in the admixture into acrosslinker in the gellant that cros slink the plurality of differentmolecular weight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-basedpolymers that polymerize when wetted and preferably mixed with waterpreferably forming a self-gelling hydrocolloid gel, and/or (b) freeingprotein or proteins in the admixture to function as a crosslinker in thegellant that crosslink the plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted and preferably mixed with water preferablyforming a self-gelling hydrocolloid gel. As previously discussed, otherstarches in the starch-containing admixture can be and preferably aremodified, preferably physically modified, into pregelatinized starchthat forms the second gelling component of a dual gelling componentgelling food product constituent extrudate of a dual gelling componentextruded gelling food product constituent of the present invention.

In one or more or all of the preferred methods disclosed hereinabove,the cold water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant issubstantially uniformly distributed throughout the gelling food productconstituent extrudate so as to homogenously impart its gellingproperties and ability to form a gel, preferably a hydrocolloid gel,more preferably a self-gelling hydrocolloid gel, and even morepreferably a thermoreversible self-gelling hydrocolloid gel throughoutthe gelling food product constituent extrudate and extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of the extruded gelling food productconstituent. Where the extruded gelling food product constituent andgelling food product constituent extrudate is a dual gelling componentextruded gelling food product constituent and dual gelling componentgelling food product constituent extrudate, both the cold water solublepregelatinized starch and the cold water-soluble extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant are respectively substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the gelling food product constituent extrudate so as toimpart their respective gelling properties and their respective abilityto form their two different types of gel are also substantiallyuniformly distributed throughout the dual gelling component extrudedgelling extruded food product constituent and dual gelling componentgelling extruded food product constituent extrudate. The singlecomponent and dual component gelling food product constituent extrudaterespectively composed of single component gelling food productconstituent extrudate and dual component gelling food productconstituent extrudate are comminuted, preferably by grinding or millinginto smaller more finely sized particles preferably having theconsistency of powder or flour. As a result of being substantiallyuniformly throughout the extrudate and preferably the constituentcomposed of extrudate, only a small amount of the powdered or floursingle component or dual component extruded food product constituent orgelling food product constituent extrudate needs to be added as afunctional gelling, thickening, emulsifying, humectant or stabilizingingredient of a food product, typically less than 30% by weight of thefood product, preferably no more than 15% by weight of the food product,more preferably no more than 10% by weight of the food product, and evenmore preferably no more than about 5%±2.5% by weight of the foodproduct.

In a preferred method and embodiment, the starch-containing admixture iscomposed of at least 30%, preferably at least 50%, more preferably atleast 65% and even more preferably substantially completely composed ofone or more cereal grains, preferably one or more sorghums, morepreferably whole grain(s) of one or more sorghums, extruded in anextruder that preferably is a single screw extruder at such ultrahighextrusion pressures and relatively short residency times as disclosedabove forms a dual-component gelling food product constituent extrudatecomposed of (a) cold water soluble ultrahigh extrusion pressure modifiedstarch gellant, and (b) pregelatinized starch formed of ultrahighpressure extrusion modified starch that preferably is comminuted intogranules or pellets by a rotary knife upon extrusion from the extruderdie, cooled and dried, without heating, using turbulently flowing roomtemperature air before being further comminuted into smaller more finelysized particles having a size of (a) grits whose comminuted particlespass through a 1.19 mm sieve (US No. 14 mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.016inch sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 40 mesh sieve), preferably pass througha 1.19 mm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 14 mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.01inch sieve (US No. 60 mesh sieve), (b) powder whose comminuted particlespass through a 297-μm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 50 mesh sieve), or (c)flour where at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, more preferably atleast 98% of its comminuted particles pass through a 212-μm sieve (USStandard Mesh No. 70 mesh sieve). In at least one method and embodiment,starch or starches in the one or more cereal grains, preferably one ormore sorghums, more preferably whole grain(s) of the one or moresorghums of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified intoplurality of different molecular weight extrusion-modified starchpolymers or starch-based polymers that polymerize when wetted or mixedwith room temperature water forming a hydrocolloid gel. In at least onesuch method and embodiment, starch or starches in the one or more cerealgrains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferably whole grain(s)of the one or more sorghums of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusionpressure modified into plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted or mixed with room temperature water forming ahydrocolloid gel and protein, preferably kafirin from the sorghum, orproteins, including kafirin from the sorghum, in the at least in the oneor more cereal grains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferablywhole grain(s) of the one or more sorghums of the admixture are freedduring extrusion at such ultrahigh extrusion pressure and/or areultrahigh extrusion pressure modified during the one or more cerealgrains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferably whole grain(s)of the one or more sorghums of the admixture being subjected to theaforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressure for such relatively shortresidency times such that the freed and/or modified protein(s),preferably freed and/or modified kafirin protein is configured as acrosslinker that crosslinks the polymerized starch polymers orstarch-based polymers of the hydrocolloid gel when wetted or mixed withwater thereby forming a self-gelling gel. Extrusion under ultrahighpressure extrusion also modifies or frees protein from the cerealgrain(s), preferably sorghum in the admixture thereby advantageouslyincreasing the amount and digestibility of the protein in the resultantgelling food product constituent extrudate produced by extrusion as wellas in the extruded gelling food product constituent composed of gellingfood product constituent extrudate produced by extrusion.

In addition to the admixture containing starches and proteins from theone or more cereal grains, preferably one or more sorghums, morepreferably whole grain(s) of the one or more sorghums, the admixturealso contains fiber therefrom that is freed and/or modified by or duringextrusion at such aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressures at suchaforementioned relatively low residency times, with such freed and/ormodified fiber substantially uniformly distributed throughout theresultant gelling food product constituent extrudate produced from or byextrusion of the admixture. In addition, still other starch from the oneor more cereal grains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferablywhole grain(s) of the one or more sorghums is modified, preferably alsophysically modified, into resistant starch or resistant starches duringor by extrusion at such aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressures atsuch aforementioned relatively low residency times, with such resistantstarch or resistant starches also substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the resultant gelling food product constituent extrudateproduced from or by extrusion of the admixture. As a result of thegelling food product constituent extrudate containing such freed and/ormodified fiber from the as well as any ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified resistant starch or starches, which are uniformly distributedthroughout the extrudate, any granules or pellets of the extrudate, aswell as any grits, powder or flour comminuted therefrom, the resultantgel or food emulsion formed of the gel possesses greater stability andhas a longer shelf life without other ingredients of a food product madetherewith settling out or precipitating as a result of the fiber and/orresistant starch forming a gel matrix. This gel matrix formed by thisfiber and/or resistant starch advantageously holds the other ingredientsand helps retain the gel in place thereby enhancing the structuralstability of the gel or food emulsion formed of the at least one andpreferably the plurality of other ingredients and the gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate or extruded gelling food productconstituent composed of the gelling food product constituent extrudate.A gel or food emulsion formed of at least one other ingredient,preferably of at least a plurality of other ingredients, more preferablyat least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of otheringredients, along with the gelling food product constituent extrudateor extruded gelling food product constituent composed of the gellingfood product constituent extrudate as still another one of the foodproduct ingredients advantageously produces a shelf-stable gel orshelf-stable food emulsion when mixed with water using a mixer thatpreferably is high shear mixer that has a shelf life of at least 6months, preferably at least one year, and more preferably at leasteighteen months without any of the ingredients settling or precipitatingout.

In a second preferred method and embodiment, the starch-containingadmixture is composed of at least 30%, preferably at least 50%, morepreferably at least 65% and even more preferably substantiallycompletely composed of one or more legumes, preferably one or morepulses, more preferably whole grain(s) of one or more legumes or pulses,even more preferably whole grain(s) of chickpea, yellow pea and/or peaextruded in an extruder that preferably is a single screw extruder atsuch ultrahigh extrusion pressures and relatively short residency timesas disclosed above forms a dual-component gelling food productconstituent extrudate composed of (a) cold water soluble ultrahighextrusion pressure modified starch gellant, and (b) pregelatinizedstarch formed of ultrahigh pressure extrusion modified starch thatpreferably is comminuted into granules or pellets by a rotary knife uponextrusion from the extruder die, cooled and dried, without heating,using turbulently flowing room temperature air before being furthercomminuted into smaller more finely sized particles having a size of (a)grits whose comminuted particles pass through a 1.19 mm sieve (US No. 14mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.016 inch sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 40 meshsieve), preferably pass through a 1.19 mm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 14mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.01 inch sieve (US No. 60 mesh sieve), (b)powder whose comminuted particles pass through a 297-μm sieve (USStandard Mesh No. 50 mesh sieve), or (c) flour where at least 80%,preferably at least 90%, more preferably at least 98% of its comminutedparticles pass through a 212-μm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 70 meshsieve). In at least one method and embodiment, starch or starches in theone or more starch-containing legumes, preferably the one or morepulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) of the one or more legumes orpulses, even more preferably the whole grain(s) of chickpea, yellow peaand/or pea of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusion pressure modifiedinto plurality of different molecular weight extrusion-modified starchpolymers or starch-based polymers that polymerize when wetted or mixedwith room temperature water forming a hydrocolloid gel.

In at least one such method and embodiment, starch or starches in theone or more starch-containing legumes, preferably the one or morepulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) of the one or more legumes orpulses, even more preferably the whole grain(s) of chickpea, yellow peaand/or pea of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusion pressure modifiedinto plurality of different molecular weight extrusion-modified starchpolymers or starch-based polymers that polymerize when wetted or mixedwith room temperature water forming a hydrocolloid gel and protein,preferably one or more of albumins, globulins, glutelins, prolamines, orother proteins, including albumins, globulins, glutelins, prolamines, inthe at least in the one or more starch-containing legumes, preferablythe one or more pulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) of the one ormore legumes or pulses, even more preferably the whole grain(s) ofchickpea, yellow pea and/or pea of the admixture are freed duringextrusion at such ultrahigh extrusion pressure and/or are ultrahighextrusion pressure modified during the one or more starch-containinglegumes, preferably the one or more pulses, more preferably the wholegrain(s) of the one or more legumes or pulses, even more preferably thewhole grain(s) of chickpea, yellow pea and/or pea of the admixture beingsubjected to the aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressure for suchrelatively short residency times such that the freed and/or modifiedprotein(s), preferably freed and/or modified protein therefrom isconfigured as a crosslinker that crosslinks the polymerized starchpolymers or starch-based polymers of the hydrocolloid gel when wetted ormixed with water thereby forming a self-gelling gel. Extrusion underultrahigh pressure extrusion also modifies or frees protein from thelegume(s), pulse(s), preferably chickpea, yellow pea and/or pea in theadmixture thereby advantageously increasing the amount and digestibilityof the protein in the resultant gelling food product constituentextrudate produced by extrusion as well as in the extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of gelling food product constituentextrudate produced by extrusion.

In addition to the admixture containing starches and proteins from theone or more starch-containing legumes, preferably the one or morepulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) of the one or more legumes orpulses, even more preferably the whole grain(s) of chickpea, yellow peaand/or pea, the admixture also contains fiber therefrom that is freedand/or modified by or during extrusion at such aforementioned ultrahighextrusion pressures at such aforementioned relatively low residencytimes, with such freed and/or modified fiber substantially uniformlydistributed throughout the resultant gelling food product constituentextrudate produced from or by extrusion of the admixture. In addition,still other starch from the one or more starch-containing legumes,preferably the one or more pulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) ofthe one or more legumes or pulses, even more preferably the wholegrain(s) of chickpea, yellow pea and/or pea is modified, preferably alsophysically modified, into resistant starch or resistant starches duringor by extrusion at such aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressures atsuch aforementioned relatively low residency times, with such resistantstarch or resistant starches also substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the resultant gelling food product constituent extrudateproduced from or by extrusion of the admixture. As a result of thegelling food product constituent extrudate containing such freed and/ormodified fiber from the as well as any ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified resistant starch or starches, which are uniformly distributedthroughout the extrudate, any granules or pellets of the extrudate, aswell as any grits, powder or flour comminuted therefrom, the resultantgel or food emulsion formed of the gel possesses greater stability andhas a longer shelf life without other ingredients of a food product madetherewith settling out or precipitating as a result of the fiber and/orresistant starch forming a gel matrix. This gel matrix formed by thisfiber and/or resistant starch advantageously holds the other ingredientsand helps retain the gel in place thereby enhancing the structuralstability of the gel or food emulsion formed of the at least one andpreferably the plurality of other ingredients and the gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate or extruded gelling food productconstituent composed of the gelling food product constituent extrudate.A gel or food emulsion formed of at least one other ingredient,preferably of at least a plurality of other ingredients, more preferablyat least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of otheringredients, along with the gelling food product constituent extrudateor extruded gelling food product constituent composed of the gellingfood product constituent extrudate as still another one of the foodproduct ingredients advantageously produces a shelf-stable gel orshelf-stable food emulsion when mixed with water using a mixer thatpreferably is high shear mixer that has a shelf life of at least 6months, preferably at least one year, and more preferably at leasteighteen months without any of the ingredients settling or precipitatingout.

In a preferred embodiment, the gelling food product extrudate producedfrom extruding one of chickpea, preferably whole grain or whole seedchickpea, yellow pea, preferably whole grain or whole seed yellow pea,under ultrahigh pressure extrusion using a single screw extrudercontains extrusion-modified pregelatinized starch that gels and forms agel component when the gelling extrudate is wetted with water mixedthoroughly therewith using a high shear mixer, and has a self-gellinggel component that forms a gel when the gelling extrudate is wetted withwater mixed thoroughly therewith using a high shear mixer thatpreferably is a thermo-reversible gel. In such a preferred gelling foodproduct extrudate, protein in the admixture is freed or modified duringultrahigh pressure extrusion crosslinks with starch modified duringultrahigh extrusion pressure extrusion into a plurality of differentmolecular weight starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted with water to form a gel. The modified or freedproteins serve as a crosslinker or crosslinking agent that crosslinksthe extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers whenwetted with water and mixed therewith using a high shear mixer. Such agelling extrudate preferably is a self-gelling extrudate that absorbs atleast four times water, preferably at least six times its weight inwater, and more preferably absorbs at least eight times its weight inwater and provides at least four times the thickening potency ofcornstarch when wetted with water, preferably at least six times thethickening potency of cornstarch when wetted with water, and morepreferably at least eight times the thickening potency of cornstarchwhen wetted with water. In a method of controlling viscosity, the ratioof water to gelling preferably self-gelling extrudate provides viscositycontrol of the resultant gel produced after wetting and high shearmixing with water with less water increasing viscosity up to a pointbeyond where the amount of water causes pasting and decreasing theviscosity as more water is used. In one preferred viscosity controlmethod and embodiment, an equal ratio of water to gelling orself-gelling extrudate produces a gel, preferably a self-gelling gel,which has its highest or greatest viscosity with adding less water thanwhat produces the highest or greatest viscosity increasing the amount ofpaste or paste present and adding more water than what produces thehighest or greatest viscosity decreasing viscosity therefrom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I. In General

Before the present materials and methods are described, it is understoodthat this invention is not limited to the particular methodology,protocols, materials, and reagents described, as these may vary. It isalso to be understood that the terminology used herein is for thepurpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended tolimit the scope of the present invention, which will be limited only bythe appended claims.

It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, thesingular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural reference unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. As well, the terms “a” (or “an”),“one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. Itis also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and“having” can be used interchangeably.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skillin the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used inthe practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methodsand materials are now described. All publications and patentsspecifically mentioned herein are incorporated by reference for allpurposes including describing and disclosing the ingredients, reagents,chemicals, devices, manufactures, statistical analysis and methodologieswhich are reported in the publications which might be used in connectionwith the invention. All references cited in this specification are to betaken as indicative of the level of skill in the art. Nothing herein isto be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled toantedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

II. The Invention

The present invention is directed to an extruded gelling food productconstituent that is composed of a gelling food product constituentextrudate extruded from a starch-containing admixture subjected tosufficiently high extrusion pressures and extrusion conditions within anextruder to modify, preferably physically modify, starch in theadmixture into a water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant thatgels and/or forms a gel when wetted with water, thereby configuring thegelling food product constituent extrudate and extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of the gelling food product constituentextrudate to gel and/or form a gel when wetted with water. As discussedin more detail below, in one preferred embodiment, other starch of thestarch-containing admixture is modified, preferably also physicallymodified, by the high extrusion pressure and extrusion conditions withinthe extruder such that pregelatinized starch also is formed in thegelling food product constituent extrudate producing an extruded gellingfood product constituent in accordance with the present inventionconfigured with two-component gelling, with one gelling componentprovided by the water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant in thegelling food product constituent extrudate, and the other gellingcomponent provided by the water-soluble pregelatinized starch in thegelling food product constituent extrudate. As discussed herein in moredetail, the resultant extruded gelling food product constituent iscomminuted into relatively small particles sizes having the size ofgrits, powder or flour for use as a food product ingredient. Where theextruded gelling food product constituent is solely composed of gellingfood product constituent extrudate and contains no other constituents,the gelling food product constituent extrudate is comminuted duringextrusion into pellets or granules that are further comminuted bygrinding or milling into smaller sized particles having the size ofgrits, powder or preferably flour used as a food product ingredient.

In one preferred embodiment, the extrusion pressures and extrusionconditions within the extruder modify some of the starch in thestarch-containing admixture into a plurality of different molecularweight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatform the water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant that polymerizeinto a hydrocolloid gel when wetted with and preferably mixed withwater. In another preferred embodiment, the extrusion pressures andextrusion conditions within the extruder also modify and/or free up someof the protein or proteins in the starch-containing admixture into acrosslinker that forms part of the water-soluble extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant that cros slinks the plurality of different molecularweight starch polymers or starch-based polymers of the gellant whenwetted with and preferably mixed with water. In one such preferredembodiment where the water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellantcontains both (a) extrusion-modified starch or starches that forms aplurality of different molecular weight extrusion-modified starchpolymers or different molecular weight extrusion-modified starch-basedpolymers, and (b) extrusion-modified or extrusion-freed protein orproteins that crosslink the different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch-based polymers when an extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of food product constituent extrudatecontaining such an extrusion-modified starch polymer and proteincrosslinker starch gellant is wetted with water, the resultantself-gelling gel formed preferably is a thermoreversible gel.

In a preferred embodiment, the water-soluble extrusion-modified starchgellant is a cold-water soluble hydrocolloid when wetted with roomtemperature water mixed therewith that forms a gel, preferably aself-gelling gel, which is thermally stable, and which preferablyproduces thermally and shelf-life stable food emulsions when used as aningredient of a food product. In one such preferred embodiment, theextruded gelling food product constituent is composed of gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate that not only contains water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant but also contains pregelatinizedstarch formed of other starch in the admixture modified, preferably alsophysically modified by extrusion pressure during extrusion inpregelatinized starch, which also gels when wetted with water mixedtherewith producing a dual-gelling component gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing one gelling component, namelywater-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant that gels when wetted,but also a second gelling component, namely pregelatinized starch thatalso gels when wetted.

A preferred embodiment of an extruded gelling food product constituentof the present invention is composed of water-soluble extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant that is cold water soluble that gels and preferably formsa gel when wetted with water that is mixed therewith, preferably using amixer that more preferably is a high shear mixer, that is a conventionalgum substitute or conventional gum replacement that more preferably is aguar gum replacement or guar gum substitute that replaces guar gum as aningredient of a food product. In another preferred embodiment, extrudedgelling food product constituent is composed of gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing water-soluble extrusion-modified starchgellant and which is configured to be a conventional gum substitute orconventional gum replacement that replaces or substitutes for at leastone of xanthan gum and carrageenan as an ingredient of a food productthat would ordinarily require one or more such conventional gums. Inanother preferred embodiment, the extruded gelling food productconstituent composed of gelling food product constituent extrudatecontaining water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant configuredfor use as at least one or both of the aforementioned conventional gumsubstitutes or replacements is also composed of a second gellingcomponent in the form of pregelatinized starch formed from other starchmodified during extrusion as discussed in more detail above andelsewhere herein.

A preferred embodiment of an extruded gelling food product constituentis composed of gelling food product constituent extrudate thatconfigures the extruded gelling food product constituent to be used asan ingredient in one or more of the different types of theabove-identified non-dairy dairy substitute or dairy alternative foodproducts as discussed in more detail hereinbelow. In one such preferredembodiment, the extruded gelling food product constituent is composed ofgelling food product constituent extrudate that configures the extrudedgelling food product constituent to be used as an ingredient that is areplacement or substitute for one or more conventional gum(s) used inone or more of the different types of the above-identified non-dairydairy substitute or dairy alternative food products. In another suchpreferred embodiment, the extruded gelling food product constituent iscomposed of gelling food product constituent extrudate that configuresthe extruded gelling food product constituent that is a gum replacementor gum substitute that at least partially and preferably completelyreplaces at least one conventional gum, preferably more than oneconventional gum, and preferably all of the conventional gums previouslyused in at least one of the one or more of the different types of theabove-identified non-dairy dairy substitute or dairy alternative foodproducts. In at least one preferred embodiment, the extruded gellingfood product constituent composed of gelling food product constituentextrudate containing water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellantconfigured for use as an ingredient in one or more of the aforementionednon-dairy dairy substitute or dairy alternative food products is alsocomposed of a second gelling component in the form of pregelatinizedstarch formed from other starch modified during extrusion as discussedin more detail above and elsewhere herein.

Another preferred embodiment of an extruded gelling food productconstituent is composed of gelling food product constituent extrudatethat configures the extruded gelling food product constituent to be usedas an ingredient in one or more of the different types of theabove-identified meatless meat-substitute food products also discussedin more detail hereinbelow. In another such preferred embodiment, theextruded gelling food product constituent is composed of gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate that configures the extruded gelling foodproduct constituent to be used as an ingredient that is a replacement orsubstitute for one or more conventional gum(s) used in one or more ofthe different types of the above-identified meatless meat-substitutefood products. In at least one preferred embodiment, the extrudedgelling food product constituent composed of gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing water-soluble extrusion-modified starchgellant configured for use as an ingredient in one or more of theaforementioned meatless meat-substitute food products is also composedof a second gelling component in the form of pregelatinized starchformed from other starch modified during extrusion as discussed in moredetail above and elsewhere herein. In at least one such gum-replacementembodiment, the extruded gelling food product constituent composed ofgelling food product constituent extrudate containing water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant configured for use as agum-replacement ingredient in a food product is also composed of asecond gelling component in the form of pregelatinized starch formedfrom other starch modified during extrusion as discussed in more detailabove and elsewhere herein.

Such an extruded gelling food product constituent is composed of agelling food product constituent extrudate of the present inventionconfigured for the extruded gelling food product constituent to be usedas a food product ingredient that is at least one of (a) a gellingagent, preferably a conventional gum substitute, (b) a thickener orthickening agent, preferably to thicken soups, porridges, sauces,dressings, creams, and puddings, (c) an emulsifier or emulsifying agent,preferably used to make food emulsions, (d) a humectant, to retain orabsorb moisture in a food product, and/or (e) stabilizer or stabilizingagent, to prevent separation in emulsions used in dressings, and/orpreventing ice crystal formation in ice cream. In one preferredembodiment, the gelling food product constituent extrudate configuresthe extruded gelling food product constituent as a food productingredient that is at least a plurality of (a)-(e) with the extrudedgelling food product constituent being used as one of (a)-(e) when usedas an ingredient in one type of food product and being used as adifferent one of (a)-(e) when used as an ingredient in a different typeof food product. In another preferred embodiment, the gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate is configured such that the extrudedgelling food product constituent is a food product ingredient that is atleast a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of (a)-(e), with itbeing used as a first one of (a)-(e) when used as an ingredient in afirst type of food product, being used as a second one of (a)-(e) whenused as an ingredient in a second type of food product, and being usedas a third one of (a)-(e) when used as an ingredient in a third type offood product. In at least one such embodiment of a gelling agent,thickening agent, emulsifier humectant and/or stabilizer, the extrudedgelling food product constituent composed of gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing water-soluble extrusion-modified starchgellant configured for use as one or more of a gelling agent, thickeningagent, emulsifier humectant and/or stabilizer in a food product is alsocomposed of a second gelling component in the form of pregelatinizedstarch formed from other starch modified during extrusion as discussedin more detail above and elsewhere herein.

In a method of making an extruded gelling food product constituent inaccordance with the present invention, an admixture composed of at least10%, preferably at least 15%, and more preferably at least 25% starchhaving a moisture content no greater than 25%, preferably no greaterthan 20%, more preferably no greater than about 17%±2%, is extrudedusing an extruder that preferably is a single screw extruder at anextrusion pressure that preferably is an ultrahigh extrusion pressure ofat least 2000 PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably atleast 4000 PSI, and even more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for arelatively short residency time of no more than 30 seconds, preferablyno more than 20 seconds, more preferably no more than 10 seconds, andeven more preferably no more than about 7 seconds±1 second within theextruder, which modifies, preferably physically modifies at least someof the starch in the admixture into a cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant, before gelling food productconstituent extrudate containing the cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the extrudate is discharged through a perforate extrusion dieat a discharge end of the extruder. During extrusion, thestarch-containing admixture is subjected to an extrusion temperature ofat least 100° Celsius and preferably at least 130° Celsius at suchultrahigh extrusion pressures. In order to preserve and freeze the coldwater-soluble gelling and/or cold-water soluble gel forming propertiesof the cold water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellantsubstantially uniformly distributed throughout the gelling food productconstituent extrudate, the gelling food product constituent extrudate iscooled and dried after the gelling food product constituent extrudateexits the extrusion die in a manner that cools and dries the extrudateso without the application of any heat to the extrudate.

In at least one preferred method of making an extruded gelling foodproduct constituent and/or method of extruding gelling food productconstituent extrudate, any of the starch-containing admixtures disclosedherein can be and preferably are extruded at an ultrahigh extrusionpressure of at least 7,500 PSI, can be and preferably is extruded in atleast one method at an extrusion pressure of at least 10,000 PSI, and inat least one other method is extruded at an extrusion pressure of atleast 15,000 PSI. In yet another method of making extruded gelling foodproduct constituent and/or extruding gelling food product constituentextrudate, any of the starch-containing admixtures disclosed herein canbe extruded and preferably are extruded at an extrusion pressure of atleast 20,000 PSI.

In a preferred method, the gelling food product constituent extrudate iscomminuted into pellets or granules upon being discharged from theextrusion die, such as by a high speed rotary knife, which is thencooled and dried, without being heated, by turbulently flowing air,preferably room temperature turbulently flowing air that has atemperature of about 68° Fahrenheit±12 degrees Fahrenheit, whichturbulently flowing air also used to transport the pellets or granulesof the gelling food product constituent extrudate away from theextruder. In one such preferred method, the turbulently flowing roomtemperature air has a low enough temperature and a high enoughvolumetric flow rate of at least 300 cubic feet per minute, preferablyat least 500 cubic feet per minute, and more preferably at least 800cubic feet minute when flowing from a generally airtightly sealed knifecage enclosing the extruder die at the discharge end of the extruderthrough an elongate duct of a pneumatic conveyor to both cool and drythe pellets or granules of the gelling food product constituentextrudate the entire time being transported through the duct thereby (a)reducing the temperature of the pellets or granules of the gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate by at least 30° Fahrenheit, preferably atleast 40° Fahrenheit, and more preferably at least 50° Fahrenheit fromthe temperature at which the extrudate exited the extrusion die, and (b)reducing the moisture content of the pellets or granules of the gellingfood product constituent extrudate by at least 3% by pellet or granuleweight, preferably at least 4% by pellet or granule weight, and morepreferably at least 5% by pellet or granule weight from the moisturecontent of the extrudate exiting the extrusion die. In one suchpreferred embodiment, such a cooling and drying without heating stepusing such turbulently flowing air dries the pellets or granules ofgelling food product constituent extrudate to a moisture content ofbetween 3% and 12% moisture content by pellet weight, preferably between4% and 10% moisture content by pellet weight, and more preferablybetween 5% and 8% moisture content by pellet weight.

In a preferred method of making gelling food product constituentextrudate of the present invention, the aforementioned ultrahighextrusion pressures and extruder parameters are configured or furtherconfigured to modify, preferably physically modify, other starch orother starches in the starch-containing admixture into a cold watersoluble pregelatinized starch contained in the gelling food productconstituent extrudate extruded from the extruder that also gels whenwetted and preferably mixed with water thereby forming a dual gellingcomponent gelling food product constituent extrudate of anotherpreferred extruded gelling food product constituent embodiment of thepresent invention. As previously discussed, such a dual gellingcomponent extrudate contains both cold water soluble pregelatinizedstarch and cold water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant with thepregelatinized starch component gelling and preferably forming astarch-type gel of starch in suspension, and the extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant gelling and preferably forming a hydrocolloid gel thatpreferably is in the form of a temperature stable and physically stableemulsion, preferably food emulsion, when wetted with water and morepreferably thoroughly mixed with water using a mixer that preferably isa high-shear mixer or the like.

In one preferred single gelling component or dual gelling componentembodiment, starches in the starch-containing admixture are modifiedduring ultrahigh pressure extrusion using an extruder that preferably isa single screw extruder subjecting starches in the starch-containingadmixture to an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI,preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 4000 PSI, andeven more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for a relatively short residencytime of no more than 30 seconds, preferably no more than 20 seconds,more preferably no more than 10 seconds, and even more preferably nomore than about 7 seconds±1 second within the extruder thereby ultrahighpressure extrusion modifying, preferably physically modifying, starch orstarches in the admixture into a plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers that formthe water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant that polymerize intoa hydrocolloid gel when wetted with water and preferably when a granularextruded gelling food product constituent composed of gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate containing the plurality of differentmolecular weight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-basedpolymers is mixed with water using a mixer that preferably is a highshear mixer. As previously discussed, other starches in thestarch-containing admixture can be and preferably are modified,preferably physically modified, into pregelatinized starch that formsthe second gelling component of a dual gelling component gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate of a dual gelling component extrudedgelling food product constituent of the present invention.

In another preferred single gelling component or dual gelling componentembodiment, the above starch-containing admixture also contains proteinor proteins that together with the starch or starches in the admixtureare subjected ultrahigh pressure extrusion in an extruder thatpreferably is a single screw extruder at an ultrahigh extrusion pressureof at least 2000 PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably atleast 4000 PSI, and even more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for arelatively short residency time of no more than 30 seconds, preferablyno more than 20 seconds, more preferably no more than 10 seconds, andeven more preferably no more than about 7 seconds±1 second within theextruder ultrahigh pressure extrusion modifying, preferably physicallymodifying, (a) starch or starches in the admixture into a plurality ofdifferent molecular weight extrusion-modified starch polymers orstarch-based polymers that form the water-soluble extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant that polymerize into a hydrocolloid gel when wetted withwater, and (b) protein or proteins in the admixture into a crosslinkerin the gellant that crosslink the plurality of different molecularweight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted and preferably mixed with water preferablyforming a self-gelling hydrocolloid gel. In still another preferredsingle gelling component or dual gelling component embodiment, thestarch-containing admixture also contains protein or proteins thattogether with the starch or starches in the admixture are subjectedultrahigh pressure extrusion in an extruder that preferably is a singlescrew extruder at an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI,preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 4000 PSI, andeven more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for a relatively short residencytime of no more than 30 seconds, preferably no more than 20 seconds,more preferably no more than 10 seconds, and even more preferably nomore than about 7 seconds±1 second within the extruder ultrahighpressure extrusion modifying, preferably physically modifying, starch orstarches in the admixture into a plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers that formthe water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant that polymerize intoa hydrocolloid gel when wetted with water, and (a) modifying, preferablyphysically modifying protein or proteins in the admixture into acrosslinker in the gellant that cros slink the plurality of differentmolecular weight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-basedpolymers that polymerize when wetted and preferably mixed with waterpreferably forming a self-gelling hydrocolloid gel, and/or (b) freeingprotein or proteins in the admixture to function as a crosslinker in thegellant that crosslink the plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted and preferably mixed with water preferablyforming a self-gelling hydrocolloid gel. As previously discussed, otherstarches in the starch-containing admixture can be and preferably aremodified, preferably physically modified, into pregelatinized starchthat forms the second gelling component of a dual gelling componentgelling food product constituent extrudate of a dual gelling componentextruded gelling food product constituent of the present invention.

In one or more or all of the preferred methods disclosed hereinabove,the cold water-soluble extrusion-modified starch gellant issubstantially uniformly distributed throughout the gelling food productconstituent extrudate so as to homogenously impart its gellingproperties and ability to form a gel, preferably a hydrocolloid gel,more preferably a self-gelling hydrocolloid gel, and even morepreferably a thermoreversible self-gelling hydrocolloid gel throughoutthe gelling food product constituent extrudate and extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of the extruded gelling food productconstituent. Where the extruded gelling food product constituent andgelling food product constituent extrudate is a dual gelling componentextruded gelling food product constituent and dual gelling componentgelling food product constituent extrudate, both the cold water solublepregelatinized starch and the cold water-soluble extrusion-modifiedstarch gellant are respectively substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the gelling food product constituent extrudate so as toimpart their respective gelling properties and their respective abilityto form their two different types of gel are also substantiallyuniformly distributed throughout the dual gelling component extrudedgelling extruded food product constituent and dual gelling componentgelling extruded food product constituent extrudate. The singlecomponent and dual component gelling food product constituent extrudaterespectively composed of single component gelling food productconstituent extrudate and dual component gelling food productconstituent extrudate are comminuted, preferably by grinding or millinginto smaller more finely sized particles preferably having theconsistency of powder or flour. As a result of being substantiallyuniformly throughout the extrudate and preferably the constituentcomposed of extrudate, only a small amount of the powdered or floursingle component or dual component extruded food product constituent orgelling food product constituent extrudate needs to be added as afunctional gelling, thickening, emulsifying, humectant or stabilizingingredient of a food product, typically less than 30% by weight of thefood product, preferably no more than 15% by weight of the food product,more preferably no more than 10% by weight of the food product, and evenmore preferably no more than about 5%±2.5% by weight of the foodproduct.

In a preferred method and embodiment, the cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant is present at a great enough weightpercent of at least five percent, preferably at least ten percent, morepreferably at least fifteen percent, within the resultant gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate that imparts a gelling property throughoutthe entire extrudate and extruded food product constituent composed ofthe gelling extrudate when wetted with water mixed uniformly using amixer that preferably is a high shear mixer. In another preferred methodand embodiment where the gelling food product constituent extrudate is adual-gelling component extrudate, (a) the cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch gellant is present at a great enough weightpercent of at least five percent, preferably at least ten percent, morepreferably at least fifteen percent, within the resultant gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate, and (b) the cold water-solubleextrusion-modified starch pregelatinized starch is present at a greatenough weight percent of at least five percent, preferably at least tenpercent, more preferably at least fifteen percent, within the resultantgelling food product constituent extrudate, whereby both gellingcomponents synergistically impart a gelling property throughout theentire extrudate and extruded food product constituent composed of thegelling extrudate when wetted with water mixed uniformly therewith usinga mixer that preferably is a high shear mixer.

In a preferred method and embodiment, the starch-containing admixture iscomposed of at least 30%, preferably at least 50%, more preferably atleast 65%, even more preferably at least 80%, and still even morepreferably substantially completely composed of one or more cerealgrains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferably whole grain(s)of one or more sorghums, extruded in an extruder that preferably is asingle screw extruder at such ultrahigh extrusion pressures andrelatively short residency times as disclosed above forms adual-component gelling food product constituent extrudate composed of(a) cold water soluble ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starchgellant, and (b) pregelatinized starch formed of ultrahigh pressureextrusion modified starch that preferably is comminuted into granules orpellets by a rotary knife upon extrusion from the extruder die, cooledand dried, without heating, using turbulently flowing room temperatureair before being further comminuted into smaller more finely sizedparticles having a size of (a) grits whose comminuted particles passthrough a 1.19 mm sieve (US No. 14 mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.016 inchsieve (US Standard Mesh No. 40 mesh sieve), preferably pass through a1.19 mm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 14 mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.01inch sieve (US No. 60 mesh sieve), (b) powder whose comminuted particlespass through a 297-μm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 50 mesh sieve), or (c)flour where at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, more preferably atleast 98% of its comminuted particles pass through a 212-μm sieve (USStandard Mesh No. 70 mesh sieve). In at least one method and embodiment,starch or starches in the one or more cereal grains, preferably one ormore sorghums, more preferably whole grain(s) of the one or moresorghums of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified intoplurality of different molecular weight extrusion-modified starchpolymers or starch-based polymers that polymerize when wetted or mixedwith room temperature water forming a hydrocolloid gel. In at least onesuch method and embodiment, starch or starches in the one or more cerealgrains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferably whole grain(s)of the one or more sorghums of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusionpressure modified into plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted or mixed with room temperature water forming ahydrocolloid gel and protein, preferably kafirin from the sorghum, orproteins, including kafirin from the sorghum, in the at least in the oneor more cereal grains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferablywhole grain(s) of the one or more sorghums of the admixture are freedduring extrusion at such ultrahigh extrusion pressure and/or areultrahigh extrusion pressure modified during the one or more cerealgrains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferably whole grain(s)of the one or more sorghums of the admixture being subjected to theaforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressure for such relatively shortresidency times such that the freed and/or modified protein(s),preferably freed and/or modified kafirin protein is configured as acrosslinker that crosslinks the polymerized starch polymers orstarch-based polymers of the hydrocolloid gel when wetted or mixed withwater thereby forming a self-gelling gel. Extrusion under ultrahighpressure extrusion also modifies or frees protein from the cerealgrain(s), preferably sorghum in the admixture thereby advantageouslyincreasing the amount and digestibility of the protein in the resultantgelling food product constituent extrudate produced by extrusion as wellas in the extruded gelling food product constituent composed of gellingfood product constituent extrudate produced by extrusion.

In addition to the admixture containing starches and proteins from theone or more cereal grains, preferably one or more sorghums, morepreferably whole grain(s) of the one or more sorghums, the admixturealso contains fiber therefrom that is freed and/or modified by or duringextrusion at such aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressures at suchaforementioned relatively low residency times, with such freed and/ormodified fiber substantially uniformly distributed throughout theresultant gelling food product constituent extrudate produced from or byextrusion of the admixture. In addition, still other starch from the oneor more cereal grains, preferably one or more sorghums, more preferablywhole grain(s) of the one or more sorghums is modified, preferably alsophysically modified, into resistant starch or resistant starches duringor by extrusion at such aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressures atsuch aforementioned relatively low residency times, with such resistantstarch or resistant starches also substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the resultant gelling food product constituent extrudateproduced from or by extrusion of the admixture. As a result of thegelling food product constituent extrudate containing such freed and/ormodified fiber from the as well as any ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified resistant starch or starches, which are uniformly distributedthroughout the extrudate, any granules or pellets of the extrudate, aswell as any grits, powder or flour comminuted therefrom, the resultantgel or food emulsion formed of the gel possesses greater stability andhas a longer shelf life without other ingredients of a food product madetherewith settling out or precipitating as a result of the fiber and/orresistant starch forming a gel matrix. This gel matrix formed by thisfiber and/or resistant starch advantageously holds the other ingredientsand helps retain the gel in place thereby enhancing the structuralstability of the gel or food emulsion formed of the at least one andpreferably the plurality of other ingredients and the gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate or extruded gelling food productconstituent composed of the gelling food product constituent extrudate.A gel or food emulsion formed of at least one other ingredient,preferably of at least a plurality of other ingredients, more preferablyat least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of otheringredients, along with the gelling food product constituent extrudateor extruded gelling food product constituent composed of the gellingfood product constituent extrudate as still another one of the foodproduct ingredients advantageously produces a shelf-stable gel orshelf-stable food emulsion when mixed with water using a mixer thatpreferably is high shear mixer that has a shelf life of at least 6months, preferably at least one year, and more preferably at leasteighteen months without any of the ingredients settling or precipitatingout.

In a second preferred method and embodiment, the starch-containingadmixture is composed of at least 30%, preferably at least 50%, morepreferably at least 65%, even more preferably at least 80%, and stilleven more preferably substantially completely composed of one or morecereal grains, preferably maize or corn, more preferably whole grain(s)of one or more types of maize or corn, extruded in an extruder thatpreferably is a single screw extruder at such ultrahigh extrusionpressures and relatively short residency times as disclosed above formsa dual-component gelling food product constituent extrudate composed of(a) cold water soluble ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starchgellant, and (b) pregelatinized starch formed of ultrahigh pressureextrusion modified starch that preferably is comminuted into granules orpellets by a rotary knife upon extrusion from the extruder die, cooledand dried, without heating, using turbulently flowing room temperatureair before being further comminuted into smaller more finely sizedparticles having a size of (a) grits whose comminuted particles passthrough a 1.19 mm sieve (US No. 14 mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.016 inchsieve (US Standard Mesh No. 40 mesh sieve), preferably pass through a1.19 mm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 14 mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.01inch sieve (US No. 60 mesh sieve), (b) powder whose comminuted particlespass through a 297-μm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 50 mesh sieve), or (c)flour where at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, more preferably atleast 98% of its comminuted particles pass through a 212-μm sieve (USStandard Mesh No. 70 mesh sieve). In at least one method and embodiment,starch or starches in the one or more cereal grains, preferably one ormore types of maize or corn, more preferably whole grain(s) of the oneor more types of maize or corn of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusionpressure modified into plurality of different molecular weightextrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted or mixed with room temperature water forming ahydrocolloid gel. In at least one such method and embodiment, starch orstarches in the one or more cereal grains, preferably one or more typesof maize or corn, more preferably whole grain(s) of the one or moretypes of maize or corn of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified into plurality of different molecular weight extrusion-modifiedstarch polymers or starch-based polymers that polymerize when wetted ormixed with room temperature water forming a hydrocolloid gel andprotein, preferably zein from the corn or maize, or proteins, includingzein from the corn or maize, in the at least in the one or more cerealgrains, preferably one or more types of corn or maize, more preferablywhole grain(s) of the one or more types of maize or corn of theadmixture are freed during extrusion at such ultrahigh extrusionpressure and/or are ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified during the oneor more cereal grains, preferably one or more types of corn, morepreferably whole grain(s) of the one or more types of corn of theadmixture being subjected to the aforementioned ultrahigh extrusionpressure for such relatively short residency times such that the freedand/or modified protein(s), preferably freed and/or modified zeinprotein is configured as a crosslinker that crosslinks the polymerizedstarch polymers or starch-based polymers of the hydrocolloid gel whenwetted or mixed with water thereby forming a self-gelling gel. Extrusionunder ultrahigh pressure extrusion also modifies or frees protein fromthe cereal grain(s), preferably corn or maize in the admixture therebyadvantageously increasing the amount and digestibility of the protein inthe resultant gelling food product constituent extrudate produced byextrusion as well as in the extruded gelling food product constituentcomposed of gelling food product constituent extrudate produced byextrusion.

In addition to the admixture containing starches and proteins from theone or more cereal grains, preferably one or more types of corn ormaize, more preferably whole grain(s) of the one or more types of cornor maize, the admixture also contains fiber therefrom that is freedand/or modified by or during extrusion at such aforementioned ultrahighextrusion pressures at such aforementioned relatively low residencytimes, with such freed and/or modified fiber substantially uniformlydistributed throughout the resultant gelling food product constituentextrudate produced from or by extrusion of the admixture. In addition,still other starch from the one or more cereal grains, preferably one ormore types of corn or maize, more preferably whole grain(s) of the oneor more types of corn or maize is modified, preferably also physicallymodified, into resistant starch or resistant starches during or byextrusion at such aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressures at suchaforementioned relatively low residency times, with such resistantstarch or resistant starches also substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the resultant gelling food product constituent extrudateproduced from or by extrusion of the admixture. As a result of thegelling food product constituent extrudate containing such freed and/ormodified fiber from the corn or maize as well as any ultrahigh extrusionpressure modified resistant starch or starches, which are uniformlydistributed throughout the extrudate, any granules or pellets of theextrudate, as well as any grits, powder or flour comminuted therefrom,the resultant gel or food emulsion formed of the gel possesses greaterstability and has a longer shelf life without other ingredients of afood product made therewith settling out or precipitating as a result ofthe fiber and/or resistant starch forming a gel matrix. This gel matrixformed by this fiber and/or resistant starch advantageously holds theother ingredients and helps retain the gel in place thereby enhancingthe structural stability of the gel or food emulsion formed of the atleast one and preferably the plurality of other ingredients and thegelling food product constituent extrudate or extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of the gelling food product constituentextrudate. A gel or food emulsion formed of at least one otheringredient, preferably of at least a plurality of other ingredients,more preferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofother ingredients, along with the gelling food product constituentextrudate or extruded gelling food product constituent composed of thegelling food product constituent extrudate as still another one of thefood product ingredients advantageously produces a shelf-stable gel orshelf-stable food emulsion when mixed with water using a mixer thatpreferably is high shear mixer that has a shelf life of at least 6months, preferably at least one year, and more preferably at leasteighteen months without any of the ingredients settling or precipitatingout.

In a third preferred method and embodiment, the starch-containingadmixture is composed of at least 30%, preferably at least 50%, morepreferably at least 65%, even more preferably at least 80%, and stilleven more preferably substantially completely composed of one or morelegumes, preferably one or more pulses, more preferably whole grain(s)of one or more legumes or pulses, even more preferably whole grain(s) ofchickpea, yellow pea and/or pea extruded in an extruder that preferablyis a single screw extruder at such ultrahigh extrusion pressures andrelatively short residency times as disclosed above forms adual-component gelling food product constituent extrudate composed of(a) cold water soluble ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starchgellant, and (b) pregelatinized starch formed of ultrahigh pressureextrusion modified starch that preferably is comminuted into granules orpellets by a rotary knife upon extrusion from the extruder die, cooledand dried, without heating, using turbulently flowing room temperatureair before being further comminuted into smaller more finely sizedparticles having a size of (a) grits whose comminuted particles passthrough a 1.19 mm sieve (US No. 14 mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.016 inchsieve (US Standard Mesh No. 40 mesh sieve), preferably pass through a1.19 mm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 14 mesh sieve) and ride on a 0.01inch sieve (US No. 60 mesh sieve), (b) powder whose comminuted particlespass through a 297-μm sieve (US Standard Mesh No. 50 mesh sieve), or (c)flour where at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, more preferably atleast 98% of its comminuted particles pass through a 212-μm sieve (USStandard Mesh No. 70 mesh sieve). In at least one method and embodiment,starch or starches in the one or more starch-containing legumes,preferably the one or more pulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) ofthe one or more legumes or pulses, even more preferably the wholegrain(s) of chickpea, yellow pea and/or pea of the admixture areultrahigh extrusion pressure modified into plurality of differentmolecular weight extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-basedpolymers that polymerize when wetted or mixed with room temperaturewater forming a hydrocolloid gel.

In at least one such method and embodiment, starch or starches in theone or more starch-containing legumes, preferably the one or morepulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) of the one or more legumes orpulses, even more preferably the whole grain(s) of chickpea, yellow peaand/or pea of the admixture are ultrahigh extrusion pressure modifiedinto plurality of different molecular weight extrusion-modified starchpolymers or starch-based polymers that polymerize when wetted or mixedwith room temperature water forming a hydrocolloid gel and protein,preferably one or more of albumins, globulins, glutelins, prolamines, orother proteins, including albumins, globulins, glutelins, prolamines, inthe at least in the one or more starch-containing legumes, preferablythe one or more pulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) of the one ormore legumes or pulses, even more preferably the whole grain(s) ofchickpea, yellow pea and/or pea of the admixture are freed duringextrusion at such ultrahigh extrusion pressure and/or are ultrahighextrusion pressure modified during the one or more starch-containinglegumes, preferably the one or more pulses, more preferably the wholegrain(s) of the one or more legumes or pulses, even more preferably thewhole grain(s) of chickpea, yellow pea and/or pea of the admixture beingsubjected to the aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressure for suchrelatively short residency times such that the freed and/or modifiedprotein(s), preferably freed and/or modified protein therefrom isconfigured as a crosslinker that crosslinks the polymerized starchpolymers or starch-based polymers of the hydrocolloid gel when wetted ormixed with water thereby forming a self-gelling gel. Extrusion underultrahigh pressure extrusion also modifies or frees protein from thelegume(s), pulse(s), preferably chickpea, yellow pea and/or pea in theadmixture thereby advantageously increasing the amount and digestibilityof the protein in the resultant gelling food product constituentextrudate produced by extrusion as well as in the extruded gelling foodproduct constituent composed of gelling food product constituentextrudate produced by extrusion.

In addition to the admixture containing starches and proteins from theone or more starch-containing legumes, preferably the one or morepulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) of the one or more legumes orpulses, even more preferably the whole grain(s) of chickpea, yellow peaand/or pea, the admixture also contains fiber therefrom that is freedand/or modified by or during extrusion at such aforementioned ultrahighextrusion pressures at such aforementioned relatively low residencytimes, with such freed and/or modified fiber substantially uniformlydistributed throughout the resultant gelling food product constituentextrudate produced from or by extrusion of the admixture. In addition,still other starch from the one or more starch-containing legumes,preferably the one or more pulses, more preferably the whole grain(s) ofthe one or more legumes or pulses, even more preferably the wholegrain(s) of chickpea, yellow pea and/or pea is modified, preferably alsophysically modified, into resistant starch or resistant starches duringor by extrusion at such aforementioned ultrahigh extrusion pressures atsuch aforementioned relatively low residency times, with such resistantstarch or resistant starches also substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the resultant gelling food product constituent extrudateproduced from or by extrusion of the admixture. As a result of thegelling food product constituent extrudate containing such freed and/ormodified fiber from the as well as any ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified resistant starch or starches, which are uniformly distributedthroughout the extrudate, any granules or pellets of the extrudate, aswell as any grits, powder or flour comminuted therefrom, the resultantgel or food emulsion formed of the gel possesses greater stability andhas a longer shelf life without other ingredients of a food product madetherewith settling out or precipitating as a result of the fiber and/orresistant starch forming a gel matrix. This gel matrix formed by thisfiber and/or resistant starch advantageously holds the other ingredientsand helps retain the gel in place thereby enhancing the structuralstability of the gel or food emulsion formed of the at least one andpreferably the plurality of other ingredients and the gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate or extruded gelling food productconstituent composed of the gelling food product constituent extrudate.A gel or food emulsion formed of at least one other ingredient,preferably of at least a plurality of other ingredients, more preferablyat least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of otheringredients, along with the gelling food product constituent extrudateor extruded gelling food product constituent composed of the gellingfood product constituent extrudate as still another one of the foodproduct ingredients advantageously produces a shelf-stable gel orshelf-stable food emulsion when mixed with water using a mixer thatpreferably is high shear mixer that has a shelf life of at least 6months, preferably at least one year, and more preferably at leasteighteen months without any of the ingredients settling or precipitatingout.

The present invention also is directed to an extruded food productconstituent that is an extruded gelling food product constituentcomposed of a gelling food product constituent extrudate having agelling property that is configured by extrusion to gel and preferablyform a gel that is a stable food emulsion when wetted with water andwhich is configured for use as an ingredient in one or more foodproducts, such as soups, sauces, salad dressings, puddings, andnon-dairy dairy substitute food products like non-dairy milk, non-dairycreamer, non-dairy whipped cream, non-dairy yogurt, non-dairy butter,non-dairy cream cheese, non-dairy cheese, and non-dairy ice cream, inwhich a gelling ingredient or an ingredient that is a conventionalgelling gum is used to make the food product. In a preferred embodiment,the extruded gelling food product constituent is composed of at leastsome starch in a starch-containing admixture that is modified,preferably physically modified, during extrusion by an extruder at anextrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI,more preferably at least 4000 PSI, and even more preferably at least5000 PSI, into a cold water-soluble modified starch gellant of a gellingfood product constituent extrudate that gels when wetted with roomtemperature water and which is present at a great enough weight percentof at least five percent, preferably at least ten percent, morepreferably at least fifteen percent, within the resultant gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate that imparts a gelling property throughoutthe entire extrudate when wetted with water mixed uniformly throughoutthe extrudate. In at least one preferred method, any ofstarch-containing admixtures disclosed herein are extruded at anultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 7,500 PSI, can be andpreferably is extruded in at least one method at an extrusion pressureof at least 10,000 PSI, and in at least one other method at an extrusionpressure of at least 15,000 PSI.

In a preferred method of making an extruded gelling food productconstituent composed of a single gelling component or dual gellingcomponent gelling food product constituent extrudate that is usable as agelling food product ingredient in a food product that requires agelling food product ingredient or a food product ingredient that gelswhen wetted, a starch-containing admixture having a moisture content ofno more than twenty five percent by admixture weight and which iscomposed of at least fifteen percent starch by weight of the admixture,of which at least ten percent by weight of the admixture is amylopectinstarch, is extruded in a single extruder at an extrusion pressure thatis an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI, preferably atleast 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 4000 PSI, and even morepreferably at least 5000 PSI, for a residency time of no longer than 20seconds, preferably no longer than 15 seconds, more preferably no morethan 10 seconds, and even more preferably no longer than about 7seconds±2 seconds before being extruded through relatively small dieholes of an extrusion die at a discharge end of the extruder as agelling food product extrudate of the present invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the gelling food product extrudate producedfrom extruding one of chickpea, preferably whole grain or whole seedchickpea, yellow pea, preferably whole grain or whole seed yellow pea,under ultrahigh pressure extrusion using a single screw extrudercontains extrusion-modified pregelatinized starch that gels and forms agel component when the gelling extrudate is wetted with water mixedthoroughly therewith using a high shear mixer, and has a self-gellinggel component that forms a gel when the gelling extrudate is wetted withwater mixed thoroughly therewith using a high shear mixer thatpreferably is a thermo-reversible gel. In such a preferred gelling foodproduct extrudate, protein in the admixture is freed or modified duringultrahigh pressure extrusion crosslinks with starch modified duringultrahigh extrusion pressure extrusion into a plurality of differentmolecular weight starch polymers or starch-based polymers thatpolymerize when wetted with water to form a gel. The modified or freedproteins serve as a crosslinker or crosslinking agent that crosslinksthe extrusion-modified starch polymers or starch-based polymers whenwetted with water and mixed therewith using a high shear mixer. Such agelling extrudate preferably is a self-gelling extrudate that absorbs atleast four times water, preferably at least six times its weight inwater, and more preferably absorbs at least eight times its weight inwater and provides at least four times the thickening potency ofcornstarch when wetted with water, preferably at least six times thethickening potency of cornstarch when wetted with water, and morepreferably at least eight times the thickening potency of cornstarchwhen wetted with water. In a method of controlling viscosity, the ratioof water to gelling preferably self-gelling extrudate provides viscositycontrol of the resultant gel produced after wetting and high shearmixing with water with less water increasing viscosity up to a pointbeyond where the amount of water causes pasting and decreasing theviscosity as more water is used. In one preferred viscosity controlmethod and embodiment, an equal ratio of water to gelling orself-gelling extrudate produces a gel, preferably a self-gelling gel,which has its highest or greatest viscosity with adding less water thanwhat produces the highest or greatest viscosity increasing the amount ofpaste or paste present and adding more water than what produces thehighest or greatest viscosity decreasing viscosity therefrom.

The present invention is therefore directed to an extruded food productconstituent of the present invention that is configured for use as aningredient of another food product and which is composed of a foodproduct constituent extrudate configured to gel and preferably form agel when wetted with water or an aqueous solution containing water. Thepresent invention also is directed to a method of making such anextruded food product constituent composed of such a gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate that is configured to gel when wetted withwater and which preferably forms a gel when wetted with water, thegelling food product constituent extrudate produced by extruding astarch-containing admixture having a water content of no more than 25%by admixture weight using an extruder, preferably a single-screwextruder, adapted to subject the starch-containing admixture to anextrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI,and more preferably at least 5000 PSI, which is a sufficiently highextrusion pressure, an ultrahigh extrusion pressure, which modifies,preferably physically modifies, at least some of the starch or starchesin the admixture into a cold water soluble extrusion-modified starch ora plurality of different cold water soluble extrusion-modified starcheswhich impart or imparts a gelling characteristic to the extrudate bygelling and preferably forming a gel when the extrudate is wetted withwater at a room temperature of about 20° Celsius or 68° Fahrenheit,i.e., 20° Celsius±1° Celsius or 68° Fahrenheit±2° Fahrenheit. In apreferred method and embodiment, subjecting such a preferred gellingextrudate configured starch-containing admixture to such a highextrusion pressure that is an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least2500 PSI, preferably at least 4000 PSI, more preferably at least 5000PSI, also frees and/or modifies protein or proteins in the admixturethat help facilitate gelling of the extrudate when wetted with water oran aqueous solution composed of water at a temperature that is at roomtemperature or about room temperature.

The gelling food product constituent extrudate exiting a perforateextrusion die of the extruder is subjected to at least one of coolingand drying without the application of heat and preferably is subjectedto both cooling and drying upon the extrudate exiting the extruder dieto freeze the water-soluble gelling property of the extrusion modifiedstarch or extrusion modified starches. The gelling food productconstituent extrudate is formed into a granular gelling extrudate bybeing comminuted into pellets or granules of gelling extrudate afterextrusion, preferably by being comminuted into pellets or granules, suchas preferably by a high-speed rotary knife, upon the gelling extrudatebeing extruded from at least a plurality of pairs of die holes formed inthe perforate extrusion die of the single screw extruder duringultrahigh pressure extrusion of the extrudate. If desired, the extrudatecan be comminuted into grits, meal, powder, or flour, such as bymilling, grinding or pulverizing the extrudate, including after theextrudate has been cut into pellets or granules, such as by a high-speedrotary knife upon or after extrusion, preferably upon or after exitingthe perforate die of the extruder. In a preferred method and embodiment,the gelling extrudate is comminuted into one of a gelling admixturepowder or gelling admixture flour that gels when mixed thoroughly withwater, preferably using a high shear mixer, preferably forming a gelthat more preferably is a self-gelling gel or which at least has aself-gelling component.

A preferred extruded food product constituent of the present inventionis a gelling extruded food product constituent composed a granulargelling food product constituent extrudate that gels when wetted withwater and which contains enough of the extrusion-modified starch orstarches formed of starch or starches in the starch-containing admixturemodified, preferably by being physically modified, during ultrahighpressure extrusion to impart a gelling characteristic to substantiallythe entirety of the extrudate when wetted with water or an aqueoussolution. In a preferred embodiment and method, at least one of theamylose starch and amylopectin starch in the starch-containing mixtureis modified, preferably physically modified, during ultrahigh pressureextrusion by reducing at least one of the molecular weights, and/ornumber of branches of at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at leastthree, molecules of the one of amylose starch and amylopectin starch.

When enough water is added to wet substantially the entirety of thegranules, pellets or particles of the granular gelling food productconstituent extrudate when mixed therewith, preferably using a highshear mixer, the gelling of the extrusion-modified starch orextrusion-modified starches wetted by the water imparts a gellingproperty to the granular gelling food product constituent extrudate. Ina preferred embodiment, the extrusion-modified starch orextrusion-modified starches are substantially uniformly distributedthroughout the granular gelling food product constituent extrudate suchthat substantially the entirety of the granular gelling food productconstituent extrudate gels when enough water is added and thoroughlymixed with the granular gelling food product constituent extrudate,preferably using a high shear mixer, to substantially uniformly wet thegranules, pellets, or particles of the granular gelling food productconstituent extrudate such that substantially uniform gelling of thewetted extrudate occurs.

In one preferred method of making an extruded granular food productconstituent composed of a single gelling component or dual gellingcomponent gelling food product constituent extrudate in accordance withthe present invention, the gelling granular food product constituentextrudate is extruded from starch-containing admixture configured toproduce a gelling granular food product constituent extrudate of thepresent invention that is composed of at least 10% starch by admixtureweight, preferably at least 20% starch by admixture weight, and morepreferably at least 30% starch by admixture weight when extruded by anextruder that preferably is a single screw extruder while thestarch-containing admixture is subjected to an extrusion pressure of atleast 2000 PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least5000 PSI, for a residency time within the extruder before exiting outthe perforate die of the extruder that is no more than 20 seconds,preferably no more than 15 seconds, more preferably no more than 10seconds, and even more preferably no more than about 7 seconds±2seconds. One such preferred gelling extruded food product constituent ofthe present invention is composed a gelling food product constituentextrudate that forms a gel when wetted water and which is extruded froma starch-containing admixture formulated for producing gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate, the starch-containing admixture composedof at least 10% starch by admixture weight, preferably at least 20%starch by admixture weight, and more preferably at least 30% starch byadmixture weight that is extruded using an extruder that preferably is asingle screw extruder while the starch-containing admixture is subjectedto an ultrahigh extrusion pressure within the extruder of at least 2000PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 5000 PSI,and for a residency time within the extruder that is no more than 20seconds, preferably no more than 15 seconds, more preferably no morethan 10 seconds, and even more preferably no more than about 7 seconds±2seconds before exiting out the perforate extrusion die of the extruder.

Preferred embodiments of starch-containing admixtures configured forproducing gelling extrudates of the present invention when subjected toultrahigh pressure extrusion are composed of one or more cereal grains,such as preferably sorghum, one or more legumes, such as preferably oneor more of lentils, chickpeas, green peas, beans and soybeans, one ormore pulses, such one or more of lentils, chickpeas, green peas, beansand soybeans, and/or one or more starchy fruits, such as plantain, greenbanana, peanuts, pumpkin, figs, raisins, plums, and certain types ofsquash, which contain at least 5% unmodified starch by weight,preferably contain at least 25% unmodified starch by weight, and morepreferably contain 40% unmodified starch by weight. Preferred gellingextrudates producing starch-containing admixtures configured for beingextruded under an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI,preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 4000 PSI, evenmore preferably at least 5000 PSI, contains at least 15% starch by dryadmixture weight before any moisture, such as in the form of water, isadded thereto, preferably contains at least 25% starch by dry admixtureweight before any water is added thereto, and more preferably containsat least 40% starch by dry admixture weight before any water is addedthereto, and has a moisture content of no greater than 25%, preferablyno more than 22.5%, and more preferably no more than about 18%±2%moisture content when entering the single-screw extruder.

In such a preferred method and embodiment, the starch-containingadmixture is extruded from the single screw extruder at an ultrahighextrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI, preferably of at least 3000PSI, and more preferably of at least 4000 PSI, and even more preferablyat least 5000 PSI, which is a high enough extrusion pressure to modifystarches in the starch-containing admixture that have a first molecularweight or a first plurality of molecular weights into starch-basedpolymers in the extrudate that gel and preferably form a gel when wettedwith water which a second molecular weight or second plurality ofmolecular weights smaller than the first molecular weight or firstplurality of molecular weights of the starches in the admixture whichwere modified during extrusion. In one such preferred method andembodiment, the starch-containing admixture is extruded from the singlescrew extruder at an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2500 PSI,preferably of at least 3000 PSI, and more preferably of at least 4000PSI, which is a high enough extrusion pressure to physically modifyenough of the starches in the starch-containing admixture having a firstmolecular weight or a first plurality of molecular weights into enoughwater-soluble starch-based polymers in the extrudate that gel andpreferably form a gel when wetted with water which have a secondmolecular weight or second plurality of molecular weights smaller thanthe first molecular weight or first plurality of molecular weights ofthe starches in the admixture which were modified during extrusion. Thisproduces an extrudate composed of enough of these water-solublestarch-based polymers formed of the starches in the admixture that werephysically modified during ultrahigh pressure extrusion into lowermolecular weight water-soluble starch-based polymers thereby forming agelling water-absorbing extrudate that swells at least four times insize from absorbing at least four times its weight in water in forming agel that has a viscosity of at least 10,000 centipoise, preferably atleast 50,000 centipoise, and more preferably at least 100,000centipoise.

In a preferred embodiment, an ultrahigh extrusion pressure modifiedstarch polymer gelling extrudate of the present invention formed of astarch-containing admixture that is extruded using a single-screwextruder that subjects the admixture to an ultrahigh extrusion pressureof at at least 2500 PSI, preferably of at least 3000 PSI, and morepreferably of at least 4000 PSI, which modifies starches in theadmixture into water-soluble starch-based gelling polymers having lowermolecular weights than the starches from which the gelling polymers weremodified that gel when wetted with water. The resultant ultrahighextrusion pressure modified starch polymer gelling extrudate that isformed from the aforementioned extrudate during ultrahigh pressureextrusion contains enough of the ultrahigh extrusion pressure modifiedstarch gelling polymer as a fraction or percentage of the totalultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starch polymer gelling extrudatesuch that wetting of the extrudate causes the ultrahigh extrusionpressure modified starch gelling polymer in the extrudate to gel therebyproducing a wetted ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starch polymergelling extrudate where the gel is relatively uniformly and preferablysubstantially homogenously distributed throughout the wetted extrudate.In at least one embodiment, the resultant extrudate contains enoughwater-soluble starch-based gelling polymer(s) disposed substantiallyuniformly or generally homogenously throughout the entire extrudate suchthat wetting the extrudate with water causes gelling of substantiallythe entire extrudate such that wetting the extrudate with water turnssubstantially all of the extrudate substantially completely into anemulsion or gel.

One such preferred ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starch polymergelling extrudate formed from the aforementioned extrudate during amethod of making the same by ultrahigh pressure extrusion contains atleast 5% by weight of the extrudate, preferably at least 10% byextrudate weight, and more preferably at least 15% by extrudate weightof the ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starch gelling polymer suchthat wetting of the extrudate causes the ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified starch gelling polymer in the extrudate to gel producing awetted ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starch polymer gellingextrudate where the gel is relatively uniformly and preferablysubstantially homogenously distributed throughout the wetted extrudate.

In another preferred embodiment, an ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified starch polymer gelling extrudate of the present inventionformed of a starch-containing admixture that is extruded using asingle-screw extruder that subjects the admixture to an ultrahighextrusion pressure of at at least 2500 PSI, preferably of at least 3000PSI, and more preferably of at least 4000 PSI, which modifies starchesin the admixture into one or more and preferably at least a plurality ofwater-soluble starch-based self-gelling polymers having lower molecularweights than the starches from which the gelling polymers were modified.The resultant ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starch polymergelling extrudate that is formed from the aforementioned extrudateduring ultrahigh pressure extrusion contains enough of the ultrahighextrusion pressure modified starch gelling polymer as a fraction orpercentage of the total ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starchpolymer gelling extrudate such that wetting of the extrudate causes theultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starch gelling polymer in theextrudate to gel producing a wetted ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified starch polymer gelling extrudate where the gel is relativelyuniformly and preferably substantially homogenously distributedthroughout the wetted extrudate. One such preferred ultrahigh extrusionpressure modified starch polymer gelling extrudate formed from theaforementioned extrudate during a method of making the same by ultrahighpressure extrusion contains at least 5% by weight of the extrudate,preferably at least 10% by extrudate weight, and more preferably atleast 15% by extrudate weight of the ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified starch gelling polymer such that wetting of the extrudatecauses the ultrahigh extrusion pressure modified starch gelling polymerin the extrudate to gel producing a wetted ultrahigh extrusion pressuremodified starch polymer gelling extrudate where the gel is relativelyuniformly and preferably substantially homogenously distributedthroughout the wetted extrudate.

Gelling extrudate produced using a method of making the same describedhereinabove also is or can be used in an instantized food product thatcan be and which preferably is a pregelatinized food product, and whichcan be configured as an extruded gelling food product that gels orpossesses a gelling characteristic when water is added thereto wettingthe extruded gelling food product, an extruded food product constituentconfigured for use as a constituent or ingredient of a food productcontaining at least one other constituent or ingredient, a gellingextruded food product constituent that gels, preferably self-gels, whenwetted with water and which is configured for use as a gellingconstituent or gelling ingredient of a food product containing at leastone other constituent or ingredient that imparts a gellingcharacteristic to the food product, and methods of making these extrudedfood products and extruded food product constituents or ingredients byextrusion at sufficiently high extrusion pressures that modify at leastsome of the starch during extrusion in a manner that imparts the desiredinstantized, pregelatinized and/or gelling characteristics or propertiesthereto. The present invention also is directed to a method ofrespectively making these extruded food products and extruded foodproduct constituents or ingredients using an extruder, preferably asingle screw extruder, to extrude a starch-containing admixture undersuch sufficiently high extrusion pressures that modifies at least someof the starch in the admixture into a modified starch that imparts thedesired instantized, pregelatinized, and/or gelling properties orcharacteristics to the extruded food product, extruded food productconstituent, and/or food product made with the extruded food productconstituent.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to an instantizedgelling extruded food product that is an instantized gelling foodproduct extrudate that is a ready-to-eat meal in its as-extruded formthat only requires the addition of water, which can be water at roomtemperature, to make the instantized food product extrudate into one ofa congee porridge, a harissa porridge, an oatmeal porridge, a genfoporridge, a polenta porridge, a gruel porridge, a grits porridge, and apudding porridge, e.g., a pudding such as a hasty pudding or the like,which is then ready to eat. In a preferred embodiment, the instantizedgelling food product extrudate in accordance with that disclosed aboveis used in its as-extruded form with only water added to the instantizedfood product extrudate transforming the wetted-instantized food productextrudate into a human edible food product that can be eaten using aspoon or fork. The instantized food product extrudate preferably is in adry granular form or dry particulate form and can be provided in a drypowder form if desired. In use, water, which can be room temperaturewater, is added and mixed with the granules, pellets, or particles ofinstantized food product extrudate, such as by using a stirrer, whichcan be a spoon or fork, until nearly all, preferably substantially all,of the granules, pellets, or particles of the instantized food productextrudate are wetted with the water.

In a preferred embodiment, the instantized gelling extruded food productis a room-temperature water instantized extruded food product made ofgranular instantized food product extrudate that is at least partiallycomposed of a cold water-soluble component that goes into solution whenroom temperature water having a temperature of about 20° Celsius orabout 68° Fahrenheit is added to the granular instantized food productextrudate and mixed therewith. In one preferred embodiment, theinstantized extruded food product is a room-temperature waterinstantized extruded food product made of granular instantized foodproduct extrudate that is at least partially composed of (a) a coldwater-soluble component, preferably a granular cold-water solublecomponent, which goes into solution when room temperature water is addedto the granular instantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith,and (b) a water dispersible component, which preferably is a cold-waterdispersible component, which goes into solution in the room temperaturewater that is added to the granular instantized food product extrudateand mixed therewith. In another preferred embodiment, the instantizedextruded food product is a room-temperature water instantized extrudedfood product made of granular instantized food product extrudate that isat least partially composed of (a) a cold water-soluble component,preferably a granular cold-water soluble component, which goes intosolution in the room temperature water when room temperature water isadded to the granular instantized food product extrudate and mixedtherewith, and (b) a water dispersible component, which preferably is acold-water dispersible component, which goes into solution in the roomtemperature water that is added to the granular instantized food productextrudate and mixed therewith forming an emulsion. In a furtherpreferred embodiment, the instantized extruded food product is aroom-temperature water instantized extruded food product made ofgranular instantized food product extrudate that is at least partiallycomposed of (a) a cold water-soluble component, preferably a granularcold-water soluble component, which goes into solution in the roomtemperature water when room temperature water is added to the granularinstantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith, (b) a waterdispersible component, which preferably is a cold-water dispersiblecomponent, which goes into solution in the room temperature water whenthe room temperature water is added to the granular instantized foodproduct extrudate and mixed therewith which can and preferably does forman emulsion, and (c) a self-gelling component, which forms a gel whenthe room temperature water is added to the granular instantized foodproduct extrudate and mixed therewith.

Depending on the size(s) or range(s) of size(s) of the instantizedgellikng food product extrudate granules, pellets or particles, as wellas the amount or volume of water mixed therewith, the resultant wettedinstantized extruded food product formed upon mixing with water can beconfigured to have at least a plurality, preferably at least a pluralityof pairs, i.e., at least three, of taste, flavor, flavor intensity,appearance, texture and/or mouthfeel of a porridge, gruel, or pudding.In one preferred instantized extruded food product and instantized foodproduct extrudate of the present invention, depending on the sizes orsize ranges of the instantized food product extrudate granules, pelletsor particles, as well as the amount or volume of water mixed therewith,the resultant wetted instantized extruded food product formed uponmixing with water can be configured to have at least a plurality,preferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of thefollowing food characteristics of taste, flavor, flavor intensity,appearance, texture and/or mouthfeel of a congee porridge or congee-typeporridge, a harissa porridge or harissa-type porridge, an oatmealporridge or oatmeal-type porridge, a genfo porridge or genfo-typeporridge, a polenta porridge or a polenta-type porridge, a gruelporridge or a gruel-type porridge, a grits porridge or a grits-typeporridge, and a pudding porridge, e.g., a pudding such as a hastypudding.

The resultant granular extruded instantized food product is packaged,such as by being placed in an airtightly sealed single serving pouchconfigured with a tear-off sealed end or edge or tear-open arrangementthat enables the pouch to be opened and its contents, namely a singleserving of the granular extruded instantized food product, poured,emptied or otherwise transferred to a container, preferably a bowl, towhich water is added to transform the extruded instantized food productinto a ready-to-eat extruded instantized food product meal composed ofwater-wetted instantized food product extrudate that can be scooped upfrom the container, preferably the bowl, with a spoon or fork and eaten.Where a single-serving pouch is used, the pouch can be configured toprovide an additional volume for water, including warm or hot, e.g.,boiling, water, to be added to the extruded instantized food productwhile in the pouch and shaken or stirred to mix the water therewith. Ifdesired, the resultant extruded instantized food product can be packagedinto a multiple serving package that preferably also is airtight andwhich is resealable to enable one or more servings to be controllablydispensed into one or more containers, preferably bowls, to which wateris added to produce a ready-to-eat extruded instantized food productmeal of the present invention that can be scooped up or otherwise pickedup using a fork or spoon and eaten.

Another aspect of this invention is a method of making an instantizedextruded food product from an admixture composed of starch-containingmaterial along with at least one additional food constituent thatprovides one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture, or mouthfeel,which is extruded by an extruder that preferably is a single-screwextruder under a controllably high enough extrusion pressure of at least2500 PSI, preferably at least 4000 PSI, more preferably at least 5000PSI, which is a suitably high ultrahigh extrusion pressure that producesan instantized food product extrudate of the present invention composedof an instantizable constituent, preferably an instantized food productconstituent, substantially uniformly mixed with the at least oneadditional food constituent. A preferred implementation of the methodfurther includes cooling and drying the instantized food productextrudate that preferably is a single gelling component or dual gellingcomponent gelling food product constituent extrudate upon exiting theextruder and doing so without the application of heat. The resultantinstantized food product extrudate preferably has a moisture content ofno greater than about 8%, and preferably a moisture content of nogreater than 6%, producing instantized food product extrudate having alow water activity of no greater than 0.5 and which remains shelf stableat room temperature of between about 20° Celsius or about 68° Fahrenheitfor at least six months, preferably for at least one year, and morepreferably for at least two years.

In a preferred implementation of a method of making an instantizedextruded food product in accordance with the present invention, the atleast one additional food product constituent not only becomeshomogeneously mixed together with the starch-containing material in theinstantized food product extrudate that exits the extruder, butsubjecting the at least one additional food product constituent to suchan ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least of at least 2500 PSI,preferably at least 4000 PSI, more preferably at least 5000 PSI for aresidency time of no longer than 20 seconds, preferably no longer than15 seconds, more preferably no longer than 10 seconds, and even morepreferably no longer than 7 seconds±2 seconds thereby modifies one ormore starches and/or proteins present in the admixture in a manner thathelps facilitate digestibility thereof in the ready-to-eat instantizedfood product extrudate when consumed after water is added. In one suchpreferred method implementation, starches and proteins are modified,preferably primarily by being physically modified, into modifiedstarches preferably having increased digestibility and coldwater-soluble modified starches, at least some of which can be andpreferably are or become polymerized by the water, preferablyroom-temperature water, added to produce the instantized extruded foodproduct, and which can become cross-linked by protein in the admixture,preferably by extrusion-modified protein. This can facilitate andpreferably even cause formation of an emulsion and/or gel as separatecomponents of the instantized extruded food product produced when water,preferably room-temperature water, is added to and mixed with theinstantized food product extrudate.

In one preferred method implementation, the at least one additional foodconstituent is one of corn, preferably dehydrated corn, green beans,preferably dehydrated green beans, carrots, preferably dehydratedcarrots, tomatoes, preferably dehydrated tomatoes, and meat, preferablydehydrated meat, such as beef, preferably dehydrated beef, chicken,preferably dehydrated chicken, pork, preferably dehydrated pork, ham,preferably dehydrated ham, and/or turkey, preferably dehydrated turkey.Therefore, in a preferred implementation of a method of making aninstantized food product extrudate in accordance with the presentinvention, the admixture is composed of a starch-containing material andat least one additional food constituent that can be at least one ofcorn, preferably dehydrated corn, green beans, preferably dehydratedgreen beans, carrots, preferably dehydrated carrots, tomatoes,preferably dehydrated tomatoes, and meat, preferably dehydrated meat,such as beef, preferably dehydrated beef, chicken, preferably dehydratedchicken, pork, preferably dehydrated pork, ham, preferably dehydratedham, and/or turkey, preferably dehydrated turkey that preferably is incomminuted form and which has a moisture content of no more than 20%,preferably no more than 18%, and more preferably no more than about17%±2% before being introduced into the extruder.

In one such preferred method implementation where the extruder is asingle screw extruder, no additional water or moisture is added to theadmixture while inside the extruder such that no additional moisture orwater is added to the admixture while undergoing extrusion in theextruder. Where it is necessary to add moisture to the admixture, anamount of moisture is added such that the total moisture content of theadmixture is no more than 20%, preferably no more than 18%, and morepreferably no more than about 17%±2%. Where the extruder is a singlescrew extruder, no additional moisture or water is added to theadmixture inside the extruder while undergoing extrusion.

In one preferred implementation, the starch-containing material of theadmixture is provided by at least one of a cereal grain, preferably atleast one of sorghum, corn, rice, oats, wheat or barley, more preferablyat least one of whole grain sorghum, whole-grain corn, whole-grain oats,whole-grain wheat, or whole-grain barley, the at least one additionalfood constituent of the admixture is provided by one of corn, preferablydehydrated corn, green beans, preferably dehydrated green beans,carrots, preferably dehydrated carrots, tomatoes, preferably dehydratedtomatoes, and meat, preferably dehydrated meat, such as beef, preferablydehydrated beef, chicken, preferably dehydrated chicken, pork,preferably dehydrated pork, ham, preferably dehydrated ham, and/orturkey, preferably dehydrated turkey, and has a moisture content of nogreater than 20%, preferably no greater than 18% and more preferably nogreater than about 15%±1%. In another preferred implementation, thestarch-containing material of the admixture is provided by at least oneof a cereal grain, preferably at least one of sorghum, corn, rice, oats,wheat or barley, more preferably at least one of whole grain sorghum,whole-grain corn, whole-grain oats, whole-grain wheat, or whole-grainbarley, the at least one additional food constituent of the admixture isprovided by a plurality of corn, preferably dehydrated corn, greenbeans, preferably dehydrated green beans, carrots, preferably dehydratedcarrots, tomatoes, preferably dehydrated tomatoes, and meat, preferablydehydrated meat, such as beef, preferably dehydrated beef, chicken,preferably dehydrated chicken, pork, preferably dehydrated pork, ham,preferably dehydrated ham, and/or turkey, preferably dehydrated turkey,and has a moisture content of no greater than 20%, preferably no greaterthan 18% and more preferably no greater than about 15%±1%. If desired,the admixture can also contain one or more (a) seasonings, such as oneor more of an adobo seasoning, a berbere seasoning, a Cajun seasoning, achimichurri blend seasoning, a chipotle seasoning, a masala or garammasala seasoning, a five spice powder seasoning, a gumbo seasoning, afajita seasoning, a jerk seasoning, a garlic pepper seasoning, a kabsaspice mix seasoning, a paella seasoning, a lemon pepper seasoning, aMediterranean blend seasoning, an Italian seasoning, a pizza seasoning,and/or one or more other types of seasoning, (b) spices, such as one ormore of allspice, anise, annatto, arrowroot, black garlic, black pepper,caraway, cardamom, cayenne pepper, celery seed, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa,coconut powder, coriander, cumin, cream of tartar, dill, fennel,fenugreek, galangal, garam masala, garlic, ginger, grains of paradise,mango, horseradish, chili powder, vanilla, curry, juniper berries,lavender, lemon peel, lime peel, long pepper, mace, mustard, nigellaseed, nutmeg, onion powder, paprika, peppercorns, poppy seeds, redpepper, saffron, sesame seeds, vanilla, vanilla powder, curry powder,wasabi, white pepper and/or another type of spice, (c) herbs, such asone or more of basil, bay leaves, chervil, chive flakes, cilantro, dillpollen, dill weed, fennel pollen, herbes de provence, lime leaves,lavender, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary,sage, sassafras, savory, shallots, and one or more other types of herbs,or (d) a salt, e.g., table salt, all of which is substantiallyhomogeneously mixed together with the rest of the aforementionedconstituents of the admixture before being extruded using the extruderconfigured to subject the admixture while inside the extruder to apressure of at least at least 2500 PSI, preferably at least 4000 PSI,more preferably at least 5000 PSI. Where a single extruder is used toextrude the admixture and produce instantized food product extrudate,the admixture is subjected to pressure within the extruder for aresidency time of no more than 15 seconds, preferably no more than 10seconds, and more preferably no more than about 7 seconds±2 seconds atan ultra-high internal extrusion pressure at a perforate extrudate exitdie of the extruder of at least 2500 psi, preferably at least 4000 psi,and more preferably at least 5000 psi,

In still another preferred implementation, the starch-containingmaterial of the admixture is provided by at least one of a cereal grain,preferably at least one of sorghum, corn, rice, oats, wheat or barley,more preferably at least one of whole grain sorghum, whole-grain corn,whole-grain oats, whole-grain wheat, or whole-grain barley, the at leastone additional food constituent of the admixture is provided by at leasttwo different of the following: corn, preferably dehydrated corn, greenbeans, preferably dehydrated green beans, carrots, preferably dehydratedcarrots, tomatoes, preferably dehydrated tomatoes, and meat, preferablydehydrated meat, such as beef, preferably dehydrated beef, chicken,preferably dehydrated chicken, pork, preferably dehydrated pork, ham,preferably dehydrated ham, and/or turkey, preferably dehydrated turkey,and has a moisture content of no greater than 20%, preferably no greaterthan 18% and more preferably no greater than about 15%±1%. In carryingout this method implementation, the admixture is extruded using anextruder that preferably is a single screw extruder that subjects theadmixture to an extrusion pressure while the admixture is within theextruder of at least at least 2500 PSI, preferably at least 4000 PSI,and more preferably at least 5000 PSI for a residency time of no morethan 15 seconds, preferably no more than 10 seconds, and more preferablyno more than about 7 seconds±2 seconds.

In a first preferred implementation of a method of making an instantizedextruded food product and instantized food product extrudate and aninstantized extruded food product and instantized food product extrudateembodiment, the admixture is composed of a rice, such as white rice,jasmine rice or basmati rice, preferably whole grain rice, such as wholegrain white rice, whole grain jasmine rice or whole grain basmati rice,as the starch-containing material, to which is added a plurality ofspices, herbs and/or seasonings and which can and preferably doescontain some salt. The admixture is extruded preferably using a singlescrew extruder at an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least at least2500 PSI, preferably at least 4000 PSI, and more preferably at least5000 PSI for a residency time of no more than 15 seconds, preferably nomore than 10 seconds, and more preferably no more than about 7 seconds±2seconds thereby extruding a congee instantized food product extrudatepreferably in granular form that preferably is a ready-to-eat congeeinstantized extruded food product which only requires water to be addedthereto and mixed therewith in order to be consumed by a person. Thecongee instantized food product extrudate is comminuted into a granularor pelletized form during or upon extrusion that can be furthercomminuted, such as by grinding or milling the granular or pelletizedextrudate into smaller more finely ground particles producing a congeeinstantized food product extrudate powder or flour to which water, whichcan be room temperature water, is added and mixed to produce a congeeinstantized extruded food product in accordance with the presentinvention.

In a first such preferred implementation of a method of making aninstantized extruded congee food product and instantized congee foodproduct extrudate and at least one embodiment thereof, the admixturefrom which the congee instantized food product extrudate is extrudedalso contains at least one and preferably a plurality of additional foodproduct constituents, including at least one or more food productconstituents disclosed hereinabove, and which each provides or imparts acorresponding different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture,or mouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat congee instantized extrudedfood product that is produced when water is added to the congeeinstantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith. In one suchmethod implementation and embodiment, the admixture configured formaking a congee instantized food product extrudate also contains atleast one and preferably a plurality of additional food productconstituents, including one or more of which are disclosed elsewhereherein, including at least one food product constituent containing lessthan 5% starch by weight, and which each provides or imparts acorresponding different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture,or mouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat congee instantized extrudedfood product that is produced when water is added to the congeeinstantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith. As previouslyindicated, such an admixture can also contain one or more and even aplurality of pairs, at least three, of seasonings, spices and herbs,including one or more and even a plurality of pairs, at least three, ofthe seasonings, spices and herbs disclosed hereinabove.

In such a first preferred method and implementation, the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour congee instantized food product extrudateprovides a dry granular, pelletized, powdered or flour extrudedinstantized food product base to which is blended at least one, andpreferably a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry or driedadditional food product constituents, such as at least one or more ofthe food product constituents disclosed hereinabove, producing aready-to-eat partially instantized food product of the present inventionwhen water, preferably hot water, more preferably boiling water, isadded that is a congee porridge that contains at least a plurality ofpairs, i.e., of edible pieces or edible chunks of each one of the dry ordried additional food product constituents which were blended to thecongee instantized food product extrudate after extrusion. Each one ofthe dry or dried food product constituents blended with the drygranular, pelletized, powdered or flour extruded instantized foodproduct base preferably is in the form of a dehydrated or freeze-driedfood product constituent. When water, preferably warm or hot water, morepreferably boiling water, is added to such a ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized food product of the present invention, the water instantizesthe instantized food product extrudate and rehydrates each piece orchunk of each one of the food product constituents blended with theinstantized food product extrudate to produce the ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized food product. The result is a wet mushy food product of thepresent invention in the form of a congee porridge that can be scoopedout of a bowl in which it is contained using a spoon or even a fork andeaten.

In another such preferred method implementation and embodiment of acongee-type instantized food product extrudate and congee-type extrudedinstantized food product of the present invention, at least one andpreferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofseasonings, spices, and/or herbs are also blended with the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour congee instantized food product extrudate.Where the congee instantized food product extrudate provides a dry ordried granular extruded instantized food product base like thatdisclosed in the preceding paragraph to which preferably is blended aplurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry or dried additionalfood product constituents, such as at least one or more of the foodproduct constituents disclosed hereinabove, at least one and preferablya plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spices and/orherb are also blended with the instantized food product extrudate eitherprior to, during or after blending of the at least one and preferably atleast a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spicesand/or herbs. The dry or dried granular ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized food product resulting from carrying out one or more of theblending steps disclosed herein can be packaged, such as in a singleserving tear-open gas-tight and water-tight pouch, such as discussedabove, and/or in a multiple-serving container, in the form of a box,e.g., cardboard or paperboard box, a plastic container, a pressed-fibercontainer, or another type of container that can be of gas-tight andwater-tight construction and which can be and preferably also isresealable.

In a second preferred implementation of a method of making aninstantized extruded food product and instantized food product extrudateand an instantized extruded food product and instantized food productextrudate embodiment that is a corn grits instantized food productextrudate and corn grits extruded instantized food product, theadmixture is composed of a corn, such as a hominy corn, such aspreferably a whole grain hominy corn, a white corn, such as preferably awhole grain white corn, or a combination thereof, as thestarch-containing material, to which is added at least one andpreferably at least a plurality of spices, herbs and/or seasonings andwhich can and preferably also does contain some salt. This admixture isextruded preferably using a single screw extruder at an ultrahighextrusion pressure of at least at least 2500 PSI, preferably at least4000 PSI, and more preferably at least 5000 PSI for a residency time ofno more than 15 seconds, preferably no more than 10 seconds, and morepreferably no more than about 7 seconds±2 seconds thereby extruding acorn grits instantized food product extrudate preferably in granularform that preferably is a ready-to-eat corn grits instantized extrudedfood product which only requires water to be added thereto and mixedtherewith in order to be consumed by a person. The corn gritsinstantized food product extrudate is comminuted into a granular orpelletized form during or upon extrusion and can also be furthercomminuted, such as by grinding or milling the granular or pelletizedinstantized food product extrudate into smaller more finely groundparticles producing a corn grits instantized food product extrudatepowder or flour to which water, which can be room temperature water, isadded and mixed to produce a corn grits instantized extruded foodproduct in accordance with the present invention.

In a second such preferred implementation of a method of making a corngrits instantized extruded food product and corn grits instantized foodproduct extrudate and at least one embodiment thereof, the admixturefrom which the corn grits instantized food product extrudate is extrudedalso contains at least one and preferably a plurality of additional foodproduct constituents, including at least one or more of the food productconstituents disclosed hereinabove, which each provides or imparts acorresponding different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture,or mouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat corn grits instantizedextruded food product that is produced when water is added to the corngrits instantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith. In onesuch method implementation and embodiment, the admixture also containsat least one and preferably a plurality of additional food productconstituents, including one or more of which are disclosed elsewhereherein, including at least one food product constituent containing lessthan 5% starch by weight, which also each respective provides or impartsa different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture, ormouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat corn grits instantized extrudedfood product produced when water is added to the corn grits instantizedfood product extrudate and mixed therewith. As previously indicated,such an admixture can also contain one or more and even a plurality ofpairs, at least three, of seasonings, spices and herbs, including one ormore and even a plurality of pairs, at least three, of the seasonings,spices and herbs disclosed hereinabove.

In such a second preferred method and implementation, the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour corn grits instantized food productextrudate provides a dry granular, pelletized, powdered or flourextruded instantized corn grits food product base to which is blended atleast one, and preferably a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofdry or dried additional food product constituents, such as at least oneor more of the food product constituents disclosed hereinabove,producing a ready-to-eat partially instantized corn grits food productof the present invention when water, preferably hot water, morepreferably boiling water, is added that is a corn grits porridge or corngrits-type porridge that contains at least a plurality of pairs, i.e.,of edible pieces or edible chunks of each one of the dry or driedadditional food product constituents blended to the corn gritsinstantized food product extrudate after extrusion. Each one of the dryor dried food product constituents blended with the dry granular,pelletized, powdered or flour extruded instantized food product basepreferably is in the form of a dehydrated or freeze-dried food productconstituent. When water, preferably warm or hot water, more preferablyboiling water, is added to such a ready-to-eat partially instantizedfood product of the present invention, the water instantizes theinstantized food product extrudate and rehydrates each piece or chunk ofeach one of the food product constituents blended with the instantizedfood product extrudate to produce another preferred ready-to-eatpartially instantized food product. In a preferred method implementationand embodiment, at least a plurality of pairs of dehydrated orfreeze-dried kernels of hominy corn, kernels of white corn, orcombination of dehydrated or freeze-dried kernels or hominy corn andwhite corn are blended with the corn grits instantized food productextrudate to produce a further preferred ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized corn grits food product of the present invention. The resultwhen mixed with water is a wet mushy and lumpy porridge-like foodproduct of the present invention in the form of a corn grits porridgethat can be scooped out of a bowl in which it is contained using aspoon, or even a fork, and eaten.

In another such preferred method implementation and embodiment of acorn-grits type instantized food product extrudate and corn-grits typeextruded instantized food product of the present invention, at least oneand preferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofseasonings, spices, and/or herbs are also blended with the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour corn grits instantized food productextrudate. Where the corn grits instantized food product extrudateprovides a dry or dried granular extruded instantized food product baselike that disclosed in the preceding paragraph to which preferably isblended a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry or driedadditional food product constituents, such as at least one or more ofthe food product constituents disclosed hereinabove, at least one andpreferably a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings,spices and/or herb are also blended with the instantized food productextrudate either prior to, during or after blending of the at least oneand preferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofseasonings, spices and/or herbs. The dry or dried granular ready-to-eatpartially instantized corn grits food product resulting from carryingout one or more of the blending steps disclosed herein can be packaged,such as in a single serving tear-open gas-tight and water-tight pouch,such as discussed above, and/or in a multiple-serving container, in theform of a box, e.g., cardboard or paperboard box, a plastic container, apressed-fiber container, or another type of container that can be ofgas-tight and water-tight construction and which can be and preferablyalso is resealable.

In a third preferred implementation of a method of making an instantizedextruded food product and instantized food product extrudate and aninstantized extruded food product and instantized food product extrudateembodiment in the form of a harissa instantized food product extrudateand harissa extruded instantized food product, the admixture is composedof a wheat, such as a cracked wheat, or preferably a whole wheat, as thestarch-containing material, to which is added at least one andpreferably at least a plurality of spices, herbs and/or seasonings andwhich can and preferably also does contain some salt. This admixture isextruded preferably using a single screw extruder at an ultrahighextrusion pressure of at least at least 2500 PSI, preferably at least4000 PSI, and more preferably at least 5000 PSI for a residency time ofno more than 15 seconds, preferably no more than 10 seconds, and morepreferably no more than about 7 seconds±2 seconds thereby extruding aharissa instantized food product extrudate preferably in granular formthat preferably is a ready-to-eat harissa instantized extruded foodproduct which only requires water to be added thereto and mixedtherewith in order to be consumed by a person. The harissa instantizedfood product extrudate is comminuted into a granular or pelletized formduring or upon extrusion and can also be further comminuted, such as bygrinding or milling the granular or pelletized instantized food productextrudate into smaller more finely ground particles producing a harissainstantized food product extrudate powder or flour to which water, whichcan be room temperature water, is added and mixed to produce a harissainstantized extruded food product in accordance with the presentinvention.

In a third such preferred implementation of a method of making a harissainstantized extruded food product and harissa instantized food productextrudate and at least one embodiment thereof, the admixture from whichthe harissa instantized food product extrudate is extruded also containsat least one and preferably a plurality of additional food productconstituents, including at least one or more of the food productconstituents disclosed hereinabove, which each provides or imparts acorresponding different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture,or mouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat harissa instantized extrudedfood product that is produced when water is added to the harissainstantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith. In one suchmethod implementation and embodiment, the admixture also contains atleast one and preferably a plurality of additional food productconstituents, including one or more of which are disclosed elsewhereherein, including at least one food product constituent containing lessthan 5% starch by weight, which also each respectively provides orimparts a different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture, ormouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat harissa instantized extrudedfood product produced when water is added to the harissa instantizedfood product extrudate and mixed therewith. As previously indicated,such an admixture can also contain one or more and can even contain aplurality of pairs, at least three, of seasonings, spices and herbs,including one or more and even a plurality of pairs, at least three, ofthe seasonings, spices and herbs disclosed hereinabove.

In such a third preferred method and implementation, the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour harissa instantized food product extrudateprovides a dry granular, pelletized, powdered or flour extrudedinstantized harissa food product base to which is blended at least one,and preferably a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry ordried additional food product constituents, such as at least one or moreof the food product constituents disclosed hereinabove, producing aready-to-eat partially instantized harissa food product of the presentinvention when water, preferably hot water, more preferably boilingwater, is added, which is a harissa porridge or harissa-type porridgethat contains at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., of edible pieces oredible chunks of each one of the dry or dried additional food productconstituents blended to the harissa instantized food product extrudateafter extrusion. Each one of the dry or dried food product constituentsblended with the dry granular, pelletized, powdered or flour extrudedinstantized food product base preferably is in the form of a dehydratedor freeze-dried food product constituent. When water, preferably warm orhot water, more preferably boiling water, is added to such aready-to-eat partially instantized harissa food product of the presentinvention, the water instantizes the instantized harissa food productextrudate and rehydrates each piece or chunk of each one of the foodproduct constituents blended with the instantized food product extrudateto produce another preferred ready-to-eat partially instantized harissafood product. In a preferred method implementation and embodiment, atleast a plurality of pairs of dehydrated or freeze-dried cracked grainsof wheat, whole grains of wheat or a combination of cracked grains ofwheat and whole grains of wheat are blended with the harissa instantizedfood product extrudate to produce a further preferred ready-to-eatpartially instantized harissa food product. The result when mixed withwater is a wet mushy, lumpy porridge-like food product of the presentinvention in the form of a harissa porridge that can be scooped out of abowl in which it is contained using a spoon, or even a fork, and eaten.

In another such preferred method implementation and embodiment of aharissa-type instantized food product extrudate and harissa-typeextruded instantized food product of the present invention, at least oneand preferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofseasonings, spices, and/or herbs are also blended with the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour harissa instantized food productextrudate. Where the harissa instantized food product extrudate providesa dry or dried granular extruded instantized food product base like thatdisclosed in the preceding paragraph to which preferably is blended aplurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry or dried additionalfood product constituents, such as at least one or more of the foodproduct constituents disclosed hereinabove, at least one and preferablya plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spices and/orherb are also blended with the instantized food product extrudate eitherprior to, during or after blending of the at least one and preferably atleast a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spicesand/or herbs. The dry or dried granular ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized harissa food product resulting from carrying out one or moreof the blending steps disclosed herein can be packaged, such as in asingle serving tear-open gas-tight and water-tight pouch, such asdiscussed above, and/or in a multiple-serving container, in the form ofa box, e.g., cardboard or paperboard box, a plastic container, apressed-fiber container, or another type of container that can be ofgas-tight and water-tight construction and which can be and preferablyalso is resealable.

In a fourth preferred implementation of a method of making aninstantized extruded oatmeal food product and instantized oatmeal foodproduct extrudate and an instantized extruded oatmeal food product andinstantized oatmeal food product extrudate embodiment, the admixture iscomposed of a oats, such as a cracked oats, or preferably a whole grainoats, as the starch-containing material, to which is added at least oneand preferably at least a plurality of spices, herbs and/or seasoningsand which can and preferably also does contain some salt. This admixturealso is extruded preferably using a single screw extruder at anultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least at least 2500 PSI, preferablyat least 4000 PSI, and more preferably at least 5000 PSI for a residencytime of no more than 15 seconds, preferably no more than 10 seconds, andmore preferably no more than about 7 seconds±2 seconds thereby extrudingan oatmeal instantized food product extrudate preferably in granularform that preferably is a ready-to-eat oatmeal instantized extruded foodproduct which only requires water, preferably hot water, more preferablyboiling water, to be added thereto and mixed therewith in order to beconsumed by a person. The oatmeal instantized food product extrudate iscomminuted into a granular or pelletized form during or upon extrusionand can also be further comminuted, such as by grinding or milling thegranular or pelletized instantized food product extrudate into smallermore finely ground particles producing an oatmeal instantized foodproduct extrudate powder or flour to which water, which can be roomtemperature water, but which preferably is hot water, more preferablyboiling water, is added and mixed to produce an oatmeal instantizedextruded food product in accordance with the present invention.

In a fourth such preferred implementation of a method of making anoatmeal instantized extruded food product and an oatmeal instantizedfood product extrudate and at least one embodiment thereof, theadmixture from which the oatmeal instantized food product extrudate isextruded also contains at least one and preferably a plurality ofadditional food product constituents, including at least one or more ofthe food product constituents disclosed hereinabove, which each providesor imparts a corresponding different one of nutrition, flavor, smell,aroma, texture, or mouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat oatmealinstantized extruded food product that is produced when water is addedto the oatmeal instantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith.In one such method implementation and embodiment, the admixture alsocontains at least one and preferably a plurality of additional foodproduct constituents, including one or more of which are disclosedelsewhere herein, including at least one food product constituentcontaining less than 5% starch by weight, which also each respectivelyprovides or imparts a different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma,texture, or mouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat oatmeal instantizedextruded food product produced when water is added to the oatmealinstantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith. As previouslyindicated, such an admixture can also contain one or more and can evencontain a plurality of pairs, at least three, of seasonings, spices andherbs, including one or more and even a plurality of pairs, at leastthree, of the seasonings, spices and herbs disclosed hereinabove.

In such a fourth preferred method and implementation, the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour oatmeal instantized gelling food productextrudate provides a dry granular, pelletized, powdered or flourextruded instantized oatmeal food product base to which is blended atleast one, and preferably a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofdry or dried additional food product constituents, such as at least oneor more of the food product constituents disclosed hereinabove,producing a ready-to-eat partially instantized oatmeal food product ofthe present invention when water, preferably hot water, more preferablyboiling water, is added, which is an oatmeal porridge or oatmeal-typeporridge that contains at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., of ediblepieces or edible chunks of each one of the dry or dried additional foodproduct constituents blended to the oatmeal instantized food productextrudate after extrusion. Each one of the dry or dried food productconstituents blended with the dry granular, pelletized, powdered orflour extruded instantized oatmeal food product base preferably is inthe form of a dehydrated or freeze-dried food product constituent. Whenwater, preferably warm or hot water, more preferably boiling water, isadded to such a ready-to-eat partially instantized oatmeal food productof the present invention, the water instantizes the instantized oatmealfood product extrudate and rehydrates each piece or chunk of each one ofthe food product constituents blended with the instantized food productextrudate to produce another preferred embodiment of a ready-to-eatpartially instantized oatmeal food product. In a preferred methodimplementation and embodiment, at least a plurality of pairs ofdehydrated or freeze-dried pieces of apple, banana, raisins,marshmallows or a combination of at least a plurality thereof areblended with the oatmeal instantized food product extrudate to produce afurther preferred ready-to-eat partially instantized oatmeal foodproduct. The result when mixed with water is a wet mushy, lumpyporridge-like food product of the present invention in the form of anoatmeal porridge that can be scooped out of a bowl in which it iscontained using a spoon, or even a fork, and eaten.

In another such preferred method implementation and embodiment of anoatmeal-type instantized food product extrudate and oatmeal-typeextruded instantized food product of the present invention, at least oneand preferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofseasonings, spices, and/or herbs are also blended with the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour oatmeal instantized food productextrudate. Where the oatmeal instantized food product extrudate providesa dry or dried granular extruded instantized food product base like thatdisclosed in the preceding paragraph to which preferably is blended aplurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry or dried additionalfood product constituents, such as at least one or more of the foodproduct constituents disclosed hereinabove, at least one and preferablya plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spices and/orherb are also blended with the instantized food product extrudate eitherprior to, during or after blending of the at least one and preferably atleast a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spicesand/or herbs. The dry or dried granular ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized oatmeal food product resulting from carrying out one or moreof the steps disclosed hereinabove, including one or more of theblending steps disclosed hereinabove, can be packaged, such as in asingle serving tear-open gas-tight and water-tight pouch, such asdiscussed above, and/or in a multiple-serving container, in the form ofa box, e.g., cardboard or paperboard box, a plastic container, apressed-fiber container, or another type of container that can be ofgas-tight and water-tight construction and which can be and preferablyalso is resealable.

In a fifth preferred implementation of a method of making an instantizedextruded polenta food product and instantized polenta food productextrudate and an instantized extruded polenta food product andinstantized polenta food product extrudate embodiment, the admixture iscomposed of a meal of one or more cereal grains, such as preferably acornmeal, to which is added at least one and preferably at least aplurality of spices, herbs and/or seasonings and which can andpreferably also does contain some salt. This admixture is extrudedpreferably using a single screw extruder at an ultrahigh extrusionpressure of at least at least 2500 PSI, preferably at least 4000 PSI,and more preferably at least 5000 PSI for a residency time of no morethan 15 seconds, preferably no more than 10 seconds, and more preferablyno more than about 7 seconds±2 seconds thereby extruding a polentainstantized food product extrudate preferably in granular form thatpreferably is a ready-to-eat polenta instantized extruded food productwhich only requires water, preferably hot water, more preferably boilingwater, to be added thereto and mixed therewith in order to be consumedby a person. The polenta instantized food product extrudate iscomminuted into a granular or pelletized form during or upon extrusionand can also be further comminuted, such as by grinding or milling thegranular or pelletized instantized food product extrudate into smallermore finely ground particles producing a polenta instantized foodproduct extrudate powder or flour to which water, which can be roomtemperature water, but which preferably is hot water, more preferablyboiling water, is added and mixed to produce a polenta instantizedextruded food product in accordance with the present invention.

In a fifth such preferred implementation of a method of making a polentainstantized extruded food product and a polenta instantized food productextrudate and at least one embodiment thereof, the admixture from whichthe polenta instantized food product extrudate is extruded also containsat least one and preferably a plurality of additional food productconstituents, including at least one or more of the food productconstituents disclosed hereinabove, which each provides or imparts acorresponding different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture,or mouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat polenta instantized extrudedfood product that is produced when water is added to the polentainstantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith. In one suchmethod implementation and embodiment, the admixture also contains atleast one and preferably a plurality of additional food productconstituents, including one or more of which are disclosed elsewhereherein, including at least one food product constituent containing lessthan 5% starch by weight, which also each respectively provides orimparts a different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture, ormouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat polenta instantized extrudedfood product produced when water is added to the polenta instantizedfood product extrudate and mixed therewith. As previously indicated,such an admixture can also contain one or more and can even contain aplurality of pairs, at least three, of seasonings, spices and herbs,including one or more and even a plurality of pairs, at least three, ofthe seasonings, spices and herbs disclosed hereinabove.

In such a fifth preferred method and implementation, the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour polenta instantized food product extrudateprovides a dry granular, pelletized, powdered or flour extrudedinstantized polenta food product base to which is blended at least one,and preferably a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry ordried additional food product constituents, such as at least one or moreof the food product constituents disclosed hereinabove, producing aready-to-eat partially instantized polenta food product of the presentinvention when water, preferably hot water, more preferably boilingwater, is added, which is an polenta porridge or polenta-type porridgethat contains at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., of edible pieces oredible chunks of each one of the dry or dried additional food productconstituents blended to the polenta instantized food product extrudateafter extrusion. Each one of the dry or dried food product constituentsblended with the dry granular, pelletized, powdered or flour extrudedinstantized polenta food product base preferably is in the form of adehydrated or freeze-dried food product constituent. When water,preferably warm or hot water, more preferably boiling water, is added tosuch a ready-to-eat partially instantized polenta food product of thepresent invention, the water instantizes the instantized polenta foodproduct extrudate and rehydrates each piece or chunk of each one of thefood product constituents blended with the instantized food productextrudate to produce another preferred embodiment of a ready-to-eatpartially instantized polenta food product. In a preferred methodimplementation and embodiment, at least a plurality of pairs ofdehydrated or freeze-dried pieces of vegetables, fruits, meats, or acombination of at least a plurality thereof are blended with the polentainstantized food product extrudate to produce a further preferredready-to-eat partially instantized polenta food product. The result whenmixed with water is a wet mushy, lumpy porridge-like food product of thepresent invention in the form of an polenta porridge that can be scoopedout of a bowl in which it is contained using a spoon, or even a fork,and eaten.

In another such preferred method implementation and embodiment of apolenta-type instantized food product extrudate and polenta-typeextruded instantized food product of the present invention, at least oneand preferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofseasonings, spices, and/or herbs are also blended with the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour polenta instantized food productextrudate. Where the polenta instantized food product extrudate providesa dry or dried granular extruded instantized food product base like thatdisclosed in the preceding paragraph to which preferably is blended aplurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry or dried additionalfood product constituents, such as at least one or more of the foodproduct constituents disclosed hereinabove, at least one and preferablya plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spices and/orherb are also blended with the instantized food product extrudate eitherprior to, during or after blending of the at least one and preferably atleast a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spicesand/or herbs. The dry or dried granular ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized polenta food product resulting from carrying out one or moreof the steps disclosed hereinabove, including one or more of theblending steps disclosed hereinabove, can be packaged, such as in asingle serving tear-open gas-tight and water-tight pouch, such asdiscussed above, and/or in a multiple-serving container, in the form ofa box, e.g., cardboard or paperboard box, a plastic container, apressed-fiber container, or another type of container that can be ofgas-tight and water-tight construction and which can be and preferablyalso is resealable.

In a sixth preferred implementation of a method of making an instantizedextruded food product and instantized food product extrudate and aninstantized extruded food product and instantized food product extrudateembodiment, the admixture is composed of a meal or flour of one or morecereal grains, such as preferably a cornmeal, a wheat flour, or acombination of cornmeal and wheat flour to which is added at least oneand preferably at least a plurality of spices, herbs and/or seasoningsand which can and preferably also does contain some salt. This admixturealso is extruded preferably using a single screw extruder at anultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least at least 2500 PSI, preferablyat least 4000 PSI, and more preferably at least 5000 PSI for a residencytime of no more than 15 seconds, preferably no more than 10 seconds, andmore preferably no more than about 7 seconds±2 seconds thereby extrudinga pudding instantized food product extrudate preferably in granular formthat preferably is a ready-to-eat pudding instantized extruded foodproduct which only requires water, preferably hot water, more preferablyboiling water, to be added thereto and mixed therewith in order to beconsumed by a person. The pudding instantized food product extrudate iscomminuted into a granular or pelletized form during or upon extrusionand can also be further comminuted, such as by grinding or milling thegranular or pelletized instantized food product extrudate into smallermore finely ground particles producing a pudding instantized foodproduct extrudate powder or flour to which water, which can be roomtemperature water, but which preferably is hot water, more preferablyboiling water, is added and mixed to produce a pudding instantizedextruded food product, i.e., an instantized pudding, in accordance withthe present invention.

In a fifth such preferred implementation of a method of making a puddinginstantized extruded food product and a pudding instantized food productextrudate and at least one embodiment thereof, the admixture from whichthe pudding instantized food product extrudate is extruded also containsat least one and preferably a plurality of additional food productconstituents, including at least one or more of the food productconstituents disclosed hereinabove, which each provides or imparts acorresponding different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture,or mouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat pudding instantized extrudedfood product that is produced when water is added to the puddinginstantized food product extrudate and mixed therewith. In one suchmethod implementation and embodiment, the admixture also contains atleast one and preferably a plurality of additional food productconstituents, including one or more of which are disclosed elsewhereherein, including at least one food product constituent containing lessthan 5% starch by weight, which also each respectively provides orimparts a different one of nutrition, flavor, smell, aroma, texture, ormouthfeel to the resultant ready-to-eat pudding instantized extrudedfood product produced when water is added to the pudding instantizedfood product extrudate and mixed therewith. As previously indicated,such an admixture can also contain one or more and can even contain aplurality of pairs, at least three, of seasonings, spices and herbs,including one or more and even a plurality of pairs, at least three, ofthe seasonings, spices and herbs disclosed hereinabove.

In such a sixth preferred method and implementation, the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour pudding instantized food product extrudateprovides a dry granular, pelletized, powdered or flour extrudedinstantized pudding food product base to which is blended at least one,and preferably a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry ordried additional food product constituents, such as at least one or moreof the food product constituents disclosed hereinabove, producing aready-to-eat partially instantized pudding food product of the presentinvention when water, preferably hot water, more preferably boilingwater, is added, which is an instantizable pudding or instantizedpudding that contains at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., of ediblepieces or edible chunks of each one of the dry or dried additional foodproduct constituents blended to the pudding instantized food productextrudate after extrusion. Each one of the dry or dried food productconstituents blended with the dry granular, pelletized, powdered orflour extruded instantized pudding food product base preferably is inthe form of a dehydrated or freeze-dried food product constituent. Whenwater, preferably warm or hot water, more preferably boiling water, isadded to such a ready-to-eat partially instantized pudding food productof the present invention, the water instantizes the instantized puddingfood product extrudate and rehydrates each piece or chunk of each one ofthe food product constituents blended with the instantized food productextrudate to produce another preferred embodiment of a ready-to-eatpartially instantized pudding food product of the present invention. Ina preferred method implementation and embodiment, at least a pluralityof pairs of dehydrated or freeze-dried pieces of fruits of at least aplurality thereof are blended with the pudding instantized food productextrudate to produce a further preferred ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized pudding food product. The result when mixed with water is awet mushy, lumpy porridge-like food product of the present invention inthe form of a viscous flowable and scoopable pudding that can be scoopedout of a bowl in which it is contained using a spoon, or even a fork,and eaten.

In another such preferred method implementation and embodiment of apudding instantized food product extrudate and extruded instantizedpudding food product of the present invention, at least one andpreferably at least a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, ofseasonings, spices, and/or herbs are also blended with the granular,pelletized, powdered or flour pudding instantized food productextrudate. Where the pudding instantized food product extrudate providesa dry or dried granular extruded instantized food product base like thatdisclosed in the preceding paragraph to which preferably is blended aplurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of dry or dried additionalfood product constituents, such as at least one or more of the foodproduct constituents disclosed hereinabove, at least one and preferablya plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spices and/orherb are also blended with the instantized food product extrudate eitherprior to, during or after blending of the at least one and preferably atleast a plurality of pairs, i.e., at least three, of seasonings, spicesand/or herbs. The dry or dried granular ready-to-eat partiallyinstantized pudding food product resulting from carrying out one or moreof the steps disclosed hereinabove, including one or more of theblending steps disclosed hereinabove, can be packaged, such as in asingle serving tear-open gas-tight and water-tight pouch, such asdiscussed above, and/or in a multiple-serving container, in the form ofa box, e.g., cardboard or paperboard box, a plastic container, apressed-fiber container, or another type of container that can be ofgas-tight and water-tight construction and which can be and preferablyalso is resealable.

In accordance with that discussed above, an instantized food productextrudate and extruded instantized food product of the present inventionand method making the same using ultrahigh pressure extrusion inaccordance with that disclose hereinabove can be configured to make acongee porridge or congee-type porridge, a harissa porridge orharissa-type porridge, an oatmeal porridge or oatmeal-type porridge, agenfo porridge or genfo-type porridge, a polenta porridge or apolenta-type porridge, a gruel porridge or a gruel-type porridge, agrits porridge or a grits-type porridge, and a pudding porridge, e.g., apudding such as a hasty pudding. From the above, the present method ofmaking such an instantized food product extrudate and extrudedinstantized food product of the present invention can be used withstarch-containing admixtures formulated differently than disclosed abovebut which produces a granular, particulate, powdered or flourinstantized food product extrudate that can be and preferably isformulated as a meal ready-to-eat (MRE) which only requires the additionof water and mixed therewith.

In a preferred embodiment, equal parts water and instantized foodproduct extrudate are provided, e.g., added, and mixed together toproduce an extruded instantized food product of the present inventionthat can be a MRE has a viscosity of at least 150,000 centipoise andpreferably has a viscosity of no greater than 300,000 centipoise afterbeing wetted with water and the water thoroughly mixed therewith. Inanother preferred embodiment, at least two parts water are mixed withone part instantized food product extrudate to produce a more flowable,less viscous extruded instantized food product of the present inventionthat can be a MRE, which preferably has a viscosity of at least 70,000centipoise and preferably has a viscosity of no greater than 140,000centipoise after being wetted with water such that the water andextrudate are thoroughly mixed together. In still another preferredembodiment, at least three parts water are mixed with one partinstantized food product extrudate to produce an even more flowable,less viscous extruded instantized food product of the present inventionand which also can be a MRE, which preferably has a viscosity of atleast 20,000 centipoise and preferably has a viscosity of no great than60,000 centipoise.

In such preferred embodiments, water is mixed with the instantized foodproduct extrudate at a corresponding designated amount of water inrelation to a corresponding designated amount of the instantized foodproduct extrudate and/or ratio of parts water to instantized foodproduct extrudate until a substantially homogenous or generally uniformmixture is produced that is the ready-to-eat extruded instantized foodproduct of the present invention is produced. In another preferredmethod implementation, an ever increasing volume of water is added to anamount or mass of instantized food product extrudate and mixedtherewith, preferably by manually stirring the water-instantized foodproduct extrudate mixture until a substantially homogenous mixture orslurry of ready-to-eat extruded instantized food product is formed.

Current wet baby foods are typically made of a semisolid puree of one ormore fruits or vegetables. Purees are produced by fine grinding toproduce a pulp of fruit or vegetable solids and juice. Traditionally,infant foods were made by long cooking of whole fruits and vegetables,followed by pulping, usually in a paddle finisher. The cooking softenedthe materials so they could be forced through the screen of thefinisher. Seeds, skins, and stems were left behind on the screen.Cooking was by direct contact with steam in long vessels. Condensatecontained large amounts of soluble solids, reducing yield and generatinga strong waste stream. The extended cooking also reduced vitamin contentand developed less desirable flavor and color.

In an improved pureeing process, fruits and vegetables used in the pureeare ground before they are cooked, producing a coarse puree which isthen heated quickly to inactivate degradative enzymes. The puree passesthrough a second extractor to further reduce the particle size and thenis pumped to batch tanks for filling. This shorter cooking processexposes fruit and vegetable purees to less heat, resulting in improvedretention of flavor and color.

Traditionally, infant food purees have been retorted or hot-filled inglass jars. This remains the case with baby food puree productscontaining larger particles sizes, although some of these are now beingpackaged in plastic bowls or trays. More recently, aseptically processedpurees for infants using aseptic plastic packaging typically consistingof either fruit purees or vegetable purees in multipack plasticcontainers or multipack plastic dishes.

The present-day focus has been to develop an ever-wider range of pureedbaby food offerings made with types of fruits and other naturalingredients not heretofore used in wet baby foods to improve thenutritional value of baby food. In this regard, the present invention istherefore directed to a wet semisolid baby food not made of any pureethat is composed of a pregelatinized extrudate that has a taste,consistency, texture, and mouthfeel similar to and preferablysubstantially the same as a pureed semisolid baby food. A preferredembodiment of such a non-pureed wet semisolid baby food product of thepresent invention has an extruded pregelatinized starch baby foodproduct base to which one or more other ingredients, such as one or morefruits and/or one or more vegetables, can be and preferably are addedeither before, during, or after extrusion of the base.

In a preferred method, the extruded pregelatinized starch baby foodproduct base is extruded from a starch-containing admixture under a highenough extrusion to modify, preferably physically modify, at least someof the starch in the admixture into a pregelatinized starch producing anextruded pregelatinized starch containing baby food product base that iscomposed of solid pellets or granules to which water is added and mixedto produce a finished wet semisolid non-pureed extruded baby foodproduct of the present invention. The starch-containing admixture iscomposed of at least one cereal grain, lentil, and/or legume thatpreferably in its whole grain form so that the fiber in the at least onewhole grain cereal grain, whole grain lentil, and/or whole grain legumeis uniformly distributed throughout the granular extruded pregelatinizedstarch containing baby food product base that helps form a finished wetsemisolid baby food product that is a stable emulsion when water isadded and mixed therewith, preferably using a high shear mixer. Theuniform distribution of the fiber from the whole grains of the admixturehelp promote the stability of the emulsion when water is added and mixedwith a high shear mixer or the like producing a finished wet semisolidbaby food product in the form of such an emulsion.

The present invention also is directed to a method of making a wetsemisolid baby food composed of an extruded pregelatinized starch babyfood product base to which at least one or more ingredients, such as oneor more fruits and/or one or more vegetables, are added either before,during or after extrusion, thereby producing a finished wet semisolidbaby food product in accordance with the present invention which has ataste, consistency, texture and mouthfeel similar to and preferablysubstantially the same as a pureed semisolid baby food. The presentinvention is further directed to a method of making a wet semisolidnon-pureed baby food composed of an extruded pregelatinized starch babyfood product base to which at least one or more ingredients, such as oneor more fruits and/or one or more vegetables, are added either before,during, or after extrusion, thereby producing a finished non-pureed wetsemisolid baby food product in accordance with the present inventionwhich has a taste, consistency, texture and mouthfeel similar to andpreferably substantially the same as a pureed semisolid baby food.

In such a preferred method of making a wet semisolid baby food productof the present invention, an extruded baby food product base of thepresent invention is composed of solid granular baby food product baseextrudate composed of a cold water soluble pregelatinized starch formedof starch modified, preferably physically modified, during extrusionthat produces a finished wet semisolid baby food product in the form anemulsion when water is added and mixed with the solid granular baby foodproduct base extrudate. The pregelatinized starch of the solid granularbaby food product base extrudate preferably forms one or both of adispersed starch gel and a hydrocolloid gel that preferably is aself-gelling hydrocolloid gel when water is added and mixed therewith,such as preferably using a high shear mixer, which thereby helps formthe emulsion of the wet semisolid baby food product after water is addedand mixed therewith. As discussed in more detail elsewhere herein, thesolid granular baby food product base extrudate is further composed offiber, preferably insoluble fiber and/or resistant starch, substantiallyuniformly distributed throughout the solid granular baby food productbase extrudate that helps promote stability of the emulsion of theemulsion of the wet semisolid baby food product formed when water isadded and mixed the solid granular baby food product base extrudate.

A preferred extruded baby food product base of the present inventioncomposed of a pregelatinized starch extrudate is produced by extruding astarch-containing admixture having a moisture content of no more thantwenty-five percent, preferably no more than twenty percent, morepreferably no more than about eighteen percent, using an extruder thatpreferably is a single screw extruder that subjects thestarch-containing admixture to an extrusion pressure of at least 2000PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 5000 PSI,for a sufficiently long enough residency time within the extruder of nomore than twenty seconds, preferably no more than ten seconds, and morepreferably between about four seconds and about eight seconds to causeat least some of the starch in the admixture to be modified, preferablyphysically modified, during ultrahigh pressure extrusion into awater-soluble pregelatinized starch of the resultant pregelatinizedstarch containing self-gelling baby food product base extrudatedischarged from the extruder that preferably is a cold water-solublepregelatinized starch that solubilizes or dissolves in room temperaturewater. Upon extrusion, the pregelatinized starch extrudate that iscomposed of the cold water-soluble pregelatinized starch preferably iscooled and dried without the application of heat to preserve bysubstantially completely freezing the state of the pregelatinized starchin the pregelatinized extrudate to prevent the pregelatinized starchfrom subsequently retrograding before water is added and mixed therewithto form a wet semisolid extruded baby food product of the invention thatis packaged in bottles, plastic containers, e.g. single serving cups, orprepackaged plastic dishes for consumer purchase and use.

In one preferred method implementation and embodiment, thestarch-containing admixture is comprised of at least onestarch-containing cereal grain, preferably sorghum, wheat, oats, barley,corn, or rye each of which preferably is a whole grain cereal grain,preferably whole grain sorghum, wheat, oats, barley, corn, or rye, sothat the fiber from the whole grain of each cereal grain in theadmixture that is extruded by the extruder, preferably single screwextruder, under ultrahigh extrusion pressure preferably is substantiallyuniformly or homogenously distributed throughout the resultant granularpregelatinized starch-containing baby food product base extrudatedischarged from the extruder, with the presence of the uniformlydistributed fiber that produces when water is mixed with the granularextrudate a finished wet semisolid baby food product that is a thermallystable and shelf stable emulsion having a long shelf life of at leastsix months, preferably at least one year, and more preferably at leasttwo years before any of the ingredients, constituents or components ofthe emulsion separate therefrom or precipitate out of the emulsion. Inanother preferred method implementation and embodiment, thestarch-containing admixture is comprised of at least onestarch-containing legume, preferably chickpea, chick pea, yellow pea,pea, navy bean, or bean, each of which preferably is a whole grainlegume or fiber-containing legume, preferably whole grain chickpea,whole grain chick pea, whole grain yellow pea, whole grain pea, wholegrain navy bean, or whole grain bean, so that the fiber from the wholegrain of each legume in the admixture that is extruded by the extruder,preferably single screw extruder, under ultrahigh extrusion pressurepreferably is substantially uniformly or homogenously distributedthroughout the resultant granular pregelatinized starch-containing babyfood product base extrudate discharged from the extruder, with thepresence of the uniformly distributed fiber that produces when water ismixed with the granular extrudate a finished wet semisolid baby foodproduct that is a thermally stable and shelf stable emulsion having along shelf life of at least six months, preferably at least one year,and more preferably at least two years before any of the ingredients,constituents or components of the emulsion separate therefrom orprecipitate out of the emulsion.

Upon extrusion and prior to cooling and drying the pregelatinizedgelling extrudate without heating the pregelatinized extrudate, thepregelatinized extrudate that forms the extruded baby food product baseis comminuted into pellets or granules, such as by using a high-speedrotary knife or cutter to which water can be added and mixed therewith,such with a high shear mixer, to produce a preferred embodiment of anextruded baby food product of the present invention before or upon beingpackaged in bottles, plastic containers, e.g. single serving cups, orprepackaged plastic dishes. Before the step where water is added andmixed with the pregelatinized extrudate pellets or pregelatinizedextrudate granules, these pregelatinized extrudate pellets orpregelatinized extrudate granules define one preferred embodiment of adry granular pregelatinized extruded baby food product base of thepresent invention. One or more additional ingredients, preferably one ormore fruits or one or more vegetables, can be added to or blended withthe pellets or granules of the dry granular extruded baby food productbase before or during the step where water is added and mixed therewith,such as by using a blender or mixer, preferably a high shear mixer,thereby producing another preferred embodiment of a wet semisolidextruded baby food product of the present invention that can also be andpreferably is packaged in bottles, plastic containers, e.g. singleserving cups, or prepackaged plastic dishes.

In another preferred method implementation and embodiment where one ormore additional ingredients, such as preferably one or more fruits orone or more vegetables, are added, the one or more additionalingredients are blended or mixed with the pregelatinized extrudatepellets or pregelatinized extrudate granules to form a second admixturewhich is in turn extruded by the extruder, preferably single screwextruder, at an extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI, preferably atleast 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 5000 PSI, producing a two-passpregelatinized baby food product base extrudate of the present inventioncontaining both the pregelatinized starch and each added ingredientsubstantially uniformly distributed throughout the two-passpregelatinized baby food product base extrudate. The two-passpregelatinized baby food product base extrudate preferably is comminutedupon being extruded from the extruder, such as by being cut into pelletsor granules of a granular two-pass pregelatinized extruded baby foodproduct base by a rotary knife or cutter as the extrudate is dischargedfrom perforate die holes of a perforate extrusion die at a discharge endof the extruder. Water can be added and mixed therewith, preferablyusing a high shear mixer, producing another preferred embodiment of awet semisolid finished extruded baby food product that can be andpreferably is packaged in bottles, plastic containers, e.g., singleserving cups, or prepackaged plastic dishes for retail sale and consumeruse. As discussed in more detail below, a further one or more additionalingredients, including one or more fruits or vegetables, can be added tothe two-pass pregelatinized extruded pellets or granules, even if one ormore ingredients were added to the prior pregelatinized pellets orgranules from the first extrusion pass, before water is added and mixedtherewith, preferably using a high shear mixer, to produce a furtherpreferred embodiment of a finished wet semisolid extruded baby foodproduct of the present invention that can be and preferably is packagedin bottles, plastic containers, e.g., single serving cups, orprepackaged plastic dishes for consumer sale and use.

In another preferred method and embodiment, the pellets or granules ofthe pregelatinized extruded baby food product base are furthercomminuted, such as by milling or grinding the pregelatinized extrudatepellets or pregelatinized extrudate granules into smaller more finelysized comminuted pregelatinized extrudate particles having a particlesize or particle size range of a meal, powder, or flour configured toimpart to the final or finished wet semisolid extruded baby food productat least one of, preferably a plurality of, more preferably a pluralityof pairs, i.e. at least three, of a desired consistency, desired textureand desired mouthfeel. In such a preferred method and embodiment, thepregelatinized extrudate pellets or pregelatinized extrudate granulesare further comminuted into even smaller more finely sized particleshaving the consistency of a powder or flour before water is added andmixed therewith, such as by using a blender or mixer, preferably a highshear mixer, and the resultant wet semisolid mixture, preferablyemulsion, is packaged in bottles, plastic containers, e.g. singleserving cups, or prepackaged plastic dishes. In another such preferredmethod and embodiment, one or more additional ingredients thatpreferably are one or more fruits or one or more vegetables are blendedor mixed with the pregelatinized extrudate pellets or pregelatinizedextrudate granules prior to being further comminuted by grinding ormilling into smaller more finely sized particles.

In a preferred method implementation and embodiment, the extruded babyfood product base is substantially completely composed of the coldwater-soluble pregelatinized extrudate, but which can also include oneor more ingredients, such as one or more fruits and/or vegetables, whichcan be added to the starch-containing admixture such that eachingredient added to the admixture becomes substantially uniformlydistributed throughout the pregelatinized extrudate baby food productbase. Where each one of the additional ingredients is added to theadmixture and extruded together with the starch-containing material ofthe admixture, the resultant pregelatinized extrudate that is formedhaving each ingredient added to the admixture substantially uniformlydistributed throughout the extrudate produces an extruded baby foodproduct base that only needs water to be added and mixed therewith toform a wet semisolid extruded baby food product that is a complete andfinished baby food product in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

Another aspect of the present invention is the making of a wet semisolidbaby food using an extruder that has a taste, texture, consistency andmouthfeel similar to that of a pureed wet semisolid baby food withoutthe need to resort to the multiple time consuming and costly processsteps that a conventional pureed baby food product making processrequires.

The present invention is therefore directed to an improved method andembodiment of making a semisolid baby food product utilizing apregelatinized gelling or self-gelling baby food product base extrudateas a base or component thereof in accordance with the present inventionthat is a non-pureed emulsion formed of water-wetted pregelatinizedstarch whose emulsion matrix is stabilized by fiber from the whole graincereal grains, whole grain legumes, and/or whole grain lentils of theadmixture from which the pregelatinized baby food product base extrudatewas extruded under an ultrahigh extrusion pressure.

Prior attempts to make a wet semisolid baby food product containinggreen banana powder were limited to only being able to contain between4%-5% starch-containing green banana powder by weight of the wetsemisolid baby food product before excess green banana powder beyond the5% threshold would precipitate out. To obtain a baby food productcontaining a greater weight percentage of starch-containing green bananapowder, an admixture moisture content of between 15% and 20%, preferablyabout 17%±1%, that contained equal parts of (a) starch-containing greenbanana powder, and (b) at least one or more whole grainstarch-containing cereal grains, such as preferably sorghum and/orbarley, whole grain starch-containing legumes, such as preferablychickpea and/or navy bean, and/or whole grain starch-containing lentils,were extruded using a single screw extruder that subjected the admixtureto an ultrahigh pressure extrusion of at least 2000 PSI and preferablyat least 3000 PSI, for a residency time of between four and eightseconds, preferably between five and six seconds, forming a granularextrudate that was subsequently dried and cooled without the applicationof heat by using turbulently flowing room temperature air to produce asolid granular extruded pregelatinized starch-containing baby foodproduct base. Water was added to the solid granular extrudedpregelatinized starch-containing baby food product base and mixedtherewith using a blender, mixer, sonicator or the like that producedhigh shear mixing of the water with the solid granular extrudedpregelatinized starch-containing baby food product base producing afinal or finished wet semisolid baby food product emulsion that was boththermally stable and shelf stable having a shelf life when packaged inbottles, plastic containers, or plastic dishes for consumer sale and useof at least six months, preferably at least one year, and morepreferably at least two years without anything settling out of theemulsion.

In one such preferred embodiment, the admixture is composed up to 50% bydry admixture weight (before any water is added) of banana flour withthe remainder of the admixture composed of one or more otherconstituents, such as a starchy vegetable, such as beet or beetroot,sweet potato, or another starchy vegetable which contains at least 7% byweight of starch, and/or a cereal grain, such as sorghum, wheat, barley,or corn, which contains greater than 25% starch by weight, to whichmoisture, e.g., water, is added in an amount to bring the total or finalmoisture content of the admixture entering the extruder to between 15%and 20% total admixture moisture content, preferably about 17%±2% totalmoisture content. In one such preferred embodiment, the admixture iscomposed of between 15% and 50% by dry admixture weight of a granularstarch-containing fruit, which can be a starch-containing berry, whichpreferably is comminuted into a granular form, e.g., starch-containingfruit granules or grits or starch-containing berry granules or grits, aflour, e.g., a starch-containing fruit powder or starch-containing berryflour, and the remainder of the dry admixture composed of at least oneof (a) starchy vegetable having a starch content of at least 7% byweight of the starchy vegetable, and (b) a starch-containing grain thatpreferably is a cereal grain containing at least 25% starch by weight,to which moisture, e.g., water, is added if needed to obtain a finaladmixture moisture content of the final admixture entering the extruderof between 15% and 20% and preferably no more than about 17%±1%. In sucha preferred embodiment, the admixture is composed of between 15% and 50%by dry admixture weight of a granular starch-containing fruit from themusa family, which preferably can be a banana or plaintain which can bea starch-containing berry, which preferably is comminuted into agranular form, e.g., starch-containing fruit granules or grits orstarch-containing berry granules or grits, a flour, e.g., astarch-containing fruit powder or starch-containing berry flour, and theremainder of the dry admixture composed of at least one of (a) starchyvegetable having a starch content of at least 7% by weight of thestarchy vegetable, and (b) a starch-containing grain that preferably isa cereal grain containing at least 25% starch by weight, to whichmoisture, e.g., water, is added if needed to obtain a final admixturemoisture content of the final admixture entering the extruder of between15% and 20% and preferably no more than about 17%±1%.

The admixture is extruded at an ultrahigh extruder pressure of at least2000 PSI, preferably at least 4000 PSI, and more preferably at anextrusion pressure of at least 7000 PSI, at extrusion temperature of atleast 100° Fahrenheit, preferably at least 125°, more preferably atleast about 135° Fahrenheit±25° Fahrenheit, producing a food productextrudate in accordance with present invention that is dried and cooledimmediately after extrusion, without heating the food extrudate duringdrying and cooling of the food product extrudate, thereby producing adried and cooled food extrudate of the present invention having amoisture content of between 5% and 15% moisture, preferably between 6%and 10% moisture content, and more preferably having between 6% and 8%moisture content. The resultant food extrudate can be and preferably isin a granular form, such as by being comminuted by a rotary blade orrotary knife during or after extrusion from the extruder. The remainderof the admixture can be composed of one or more of beans, sweet potato,sorghum, a starch vegetable containing at least 5% starch by weight, astarchy fruit containing at least 5% starch by weight, In anotherpreferred embodiment, the admixture was of between 15% and 50% by dryadmixture weight of green banana flour with the remainder of theadmixture composed of one or more other constituents, such as beet,sweet potato, sorghum or another starchy vegetable, cereal grain,starchy root, or a starchy tuber.

An edible non-dairy cheese that can be a non-dairy vegan cheese can bemade by extruding chickpea, yellow pea, and/or one or more other pulsesunder ultrahigh pressure extrusion producing a self-gelling extrudate inaccordance with that disclosed hereinabove. Based on the ratio of waterto the chickpea and yellow pea extrudate, an ultrahigh pressure extrudedadmixture containing at least 10% and preferably between 10% and 25% ofthe extruded chickpea or the extruded yellow pea produces an edible gelthat is sliceable gel having a cheese-like viscosity and one or more ofa cheese-like texture, a cheese-like taste, and a cheese-like mouthfeel.Variable flavor profiles can be used to flavor into a cheddar ormozzarella flavored cheese substitute. A fat, such as preferablysunflower oil, coconut oil, deodorized cocoa butter, lecithin, retainswater and maintains the other constituents in stable suspension forminga thermally stable and shelf stable suspension that preferably is gelformed of one of a suspended starch, preferably suspended pregelatinizedstarch, and a hydrocolloid composed of starches modified, preferablyphysically modified during ultrahigh pressure extrusion, into polymerswhich proteins from the cereal grains, pulses, legumes and/or lentils inthe admixture, preferably also modified during ultrahigh pressureextrusion cross-link the physically modified starch polymers forming ahydrocolloid gel that is advantageously self-gelling. At least thehydrocolloid gel component, preferably the self-gelling component, isthermoreversible such that the gel is a thermoreversible gel thatre-cros slinks upon or after reheating as a result of the pregel starchfraction and the crosslinking protein fraction via modified kafirinmodified during ultrahigh pressure extrusion where sorghum is extrudedor via modified zein modified during ultrahigh pressure extrusion wherecorn is extruded. Granular or flour chickpea or yellow pea gellingextrudate preferably is used for the admixture used to make the cheesesubstitute that is dairy-free and preferably also vegan. Based on thevolume of water added, the extrudate gels very very quickly into asliceable cheese-like product. About 15% of the gelling extrudate andthe remainder being water produces a sliceable gel that is ofcheese-like viscosity and consistency. Can also be used to make anon-dairy whipped cream or non-dairy yogurt.

All of the conventional non-dairy milks that use an oat milk basedremove fiber and protein with enzyme cooking and filtration therebyusing amylase as the enzyme during cooking to create non-thickenedstarch base. The present invention eliminate the use of these bases byextruding whole grains of cereal grains and/legumes under ultrahighextrusion pressure in accordance with the methods, formulations andembodiments disclosed hereinabove that have all protein and fiberremaining in the admixture that is extruded under ultrahigh extrusionpressure. Retaining fiber helps with suspension of ingredients in thefood emulsion and thereby prevents the ingredients from coming out ofthe suspension. In one preferred embodiment, a combination of xanthangum, carrageenan, and guar gum is added in an amount of 0.1% or less tothe gelling food product constituent extrudate that gets comminuted intosmaller more finely sized particles having the size of grits, powder orflour that is mixed with water using a high shear mixture in making anon-dairy or vegan non-dairy milk, a non-dairy or vegan non-dairy cream,a non-dairy or vegan non-dairy cream cheese, and a non-dairy or vegannon-dairy cheese instead of 2%-3% of the same three gum combination thatis normally required to make the same conventional non-dairy milk,non-dairy cream, non-dairy cheese and non-dairy ice cream substitutes.Otherwise, prior art products use a gellan gum or pectin, but thatadversely impacts mouthfeel but food products made with gelling foodproduct constituent extrudates made in accordance with the methods andformulations disclosed herein produce non-dairy and vegan non-dairymilk, cream, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream advantageously have the sameor substantially the same texture, consistency, flavor, aroma andmouthfeel as conventional dairy milk, dairy cream, dairy cheeses, anddairy ice creams. Conventional non-dairy or vegan non-dairy milk, cream,creamer and yogurt substitutes require shaking, but the presence offiber and resistant starch by extruding under ultrahigh pressuresadmixtures containing whole grain cereal grains, including sorghum,oats, barley, wheat and/or corn, and legumes, including pulses, wholegrain or whole seed chickpea, whole grain or whole seed yellow pea, andwhole grain or whole seed lentils using ultrahigh pressure producessingle component and dual-component gelling food product constituents inaccordance with the present invention used as an ingredient in makingnon-dairy or vegan non-dairy milks, creams, butters, creamers andyogurts advantageously produce non-dairy or vegan non-dairy milks,non-dairy or vegan non-dairy creams, non-dairy or vegan non-dairybutters, non-dairy or vegan non-dairy creamers and non-dairy or vegannon-dairy yogurts where all of the constituents or ingredients thereofstably remain in suspension in the corresponding resultant foodemulsions respectively produced for each that can remain refrigeratedfor at least a plurality of days, preferably at least a plurality ofpairs of days without requiring shaking them before consuming them. In apreferred embodiment, ultrahigh pressure extrusion of a gelling foodproduct constituent admixture from a chickpea admixture composedsubstantially completely of whole grain or whole seed yellow pea is athickening agent or viscosity control agent when used as an ingredientin pudding of at least 1% by pudding weight, preferably at least 2% bypudding weight thereby eliminating the need for any pectins to be addedas an ingredient thereto. Gelling food product constituent extrudateextruded of a sorghum admixture is used as an ingredient in ice cream tonucleate or crystallize ice along with fava bean protein to provide icecrystallization control to make ice cream scoopable at the righttemperature or within a desired range of temperatures close to but belowfreezing temperature of 32° Fahrenheit. In one preferred method andembodiment, fava bean is added to the sorghum admixture and extrudedunder ultrahigh extrusion pressure at such a short residency time inaccordance with the extrusion methods disclosed hereinabove producing agelling food product constituent extrudate containing the fava beanuniformly distributed throughout the extrudate or extruded food productconstituent composed of the gelling extrudate. In another preferredmethod and embodiment, the fava bean is dried or dehydrated and added tothe gelling extrudate or extruded gelling food product constituent ingranular form that preferably is in grit form, powdered form, or flourform with the granular fava bean substantially uniformly blendedtherewith. In another preferred embodiment, a pregelatinized flourcomposed of a whole grain sorghum, whole grain wheat, whole grainbarley, and/or whole grain oats is extruded under ultrahigh extrusionpressures at low residency times producing a pregelatinized gellingfunctional flour of the present invention composed of gelling foodproduct constituent extrudate comminuted into flour form to whichgranular fava bean preferably also comminuted into a flour issubstantially uniformly blended therewith producing an extrudedpregelatinized gelling flour in accordance with another aspect of thepresent invention having increased protein without impacting the flavorof food products made by mixing with water along with at least one otheringredient, preferably at least a plurality of other ingredients,including one or more of fruit, chocolate, shortening, grains, berries,ground meat, ground chicken, ground pork, ground fish, and/or otheringredients, forming it into a plurality of food products, and cookingor baking them in an oven at a temperature of at least 200° Fahrenheit,preferably at least 300° Fahrenheit, or another suitable baking orcooking temperature until fully baked or cooked into hardened foodproducts.

Present invention encompasses a two gel component food productconstituent: (1) starch suspended in water via high shear mixing, and(2) protein(s) modified by extrusion crosslink modified starch producinga self-gelling component of the gel. Can be applied onto a slug or blankof a multiple-ingredient food product constituent disposed on a sheet,tray or screen that migrates into the slug or blank thereafter and whichdries thereby solidifying the slug or blank into a solidified crunchyfood product preformed chip, cracker, bar, brownie, and which can beheated to cure the water-soluble modified starch binder. The presentinvention also encompasses a ready to eat extruded instantized foodproduct made of granular gelling food product constituent extrudate towhich water is added to make a ready to eat meal. The present inventionfurther encompasses a dry granular porridge, dry granular edible grits,a dry granular pudding, a dry granular gruel, a dry granular instantizedoatmeal, a dry granular oatmeal substitute or another similar type ofgranular dry food product precursor made with either (a) a granularextruded food product constituent composed of a gelling food productconstituent extrudate of the present invention as one ingredient, or (b)a gelling food product constituent extrudate of the present invention asone ingredient along with a plurality of other ingredients, includingone or more of a vegetable, fruit, or grain, one or more or all of whichcan be in whole or comminuted, e.g., milled, form, in the form of a drygranular, powdered or flourlike mixture that comprises anadd-water-ready-to-eat food product that becomes a wet edible semisolidwhen water is added and thoroughly manually mixed therewith using astirrer, knife, fork or spoon, immediately prior to being eaten.

Another aspect of the present invention is an extruded gelling orself-gelling food product or extruded food product constituent that canbe and preferably is used as an ingredient of a food product is atwo-pass extrudate where the starch-containing admixture run through theextruder at an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2000 PSI,preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 4000 PSI, andeven more preferably at least 5000 PSI, produces an extrudate containingstarch modified, preferably physically modified during extrusion into apregelatinized starch that is then made part of anotherstarch-containing admixture containing one or more food ingredients,such as cocoa, chocolate, milk proteins, fruit, and/or vegetables, whichis configured for a second pass through the extruder at such anultrahigh extrusion pressure. By the second extrusion pass admixturecontaining the pregelatinized starch from the first extrusion passextrudate from the first extrusion pass admixture, the presence of thepregelatinized starch in the second extrusion pass admixture instantlygelatinizes upon contacting water, e.g., water, steam, water, vapor,etc., within the extruder as it does not need to be subjected to theheat and pressure within the extruder ordinarily required for starchgelatinization. The presence of the pregelatinized starch that instantlygelatinizes upon contact with water in the extruder causes the entiresecond extrusion pass admixture to require less energy to flow throughthe extruder and flow through the extruder with less resistance with thenon-gelatinized portion of the second extrusion pass admixture suspendedwithin the fluidized instantly gelatinized pregelatinized components.

This two pass extrusion method is used to extrude a second passadmixture containing milk proteins, such as in the form of milkchocolate, casein, and other types of casein proteins at a relativelytemperature of less than 140° Fahrenheit to prevent protein denaturingand degradation but at an ultrahigh extrusion pressure of at least 2000PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, more preferably at least 4000 PSI,and even more preferably at least 5000 PSI, for a relatively shortprotein preserving residency time of no greater than 15 seconds,preferably no greater than 10 seconds and more preferably no greaterthan about 7 seconds±2 seconds to produce at least one of an extrudedfood product, a food product extrudate, an instantized extruded foodproduct, an instantized food product extrudate, extruded food productconstituent or ingredient, a food product extrudate constituent oringredient, an instantized extruded food product constituent oringredient, an instantized food product extrudate constituent oringredient containing the milk protein or milk proteins extruded thereinthat preferably provide one of flavor, taste, aroma, and/or flavorintensity. In one preferred two-pass extrusion method and embodiment,granular milk protein(s) in the form of milk chocolate that preferablyis in powdered form is part of a starch-containing second extrusion passadmixture that includes at least pregelatinized starch from thestarch-containing first extrusion pass admixture that is extruded duringthe second extrusion pass at a protein denaturing or degradationpreventing extrusion temperature of no greater than 140° Fahrenheit andpreferably no greater than 140° Fahrenheit at an ultrahigh extrusionpressure of at least 2000 PSI, preferably at least 3000 PSI, morepreferably at least 4000 PSI, and even more preferably at least 5000 PSIfor a protein protecting relatively short residency time of no more thanabout 8 seconds and preferably no more than about 5 seconds±1 second toproduce an instantized or gelling chocolate flavored food product or aninstantized or gelling chocolate flavored food product constituent thatcan be used as an ingredient of another food product that imparts achocolate flavor thereto. The starch-containing component of the firstpass extrusion admixture and the second pass extrusion admixturepreferably is provided by one or more cereal grains or legumes aspreviously disclosed hereinabove.

The present invention also is directed to an extruded food productconstituent composed of a gelling food product constituent extrudate andmethod of extruding a gelling food product constituent extrudate used asan ingredient of a food product normally using a gelling gum, like guargum, xanthan gum or carrageenan as an ingredient. The gelling foodproduct extrudate is composed of cold-water soluble gellingpregelatinized starch formed of starch in a starch-containing admixturemodified by extrusion at extrusion pressures greater than 2000 PSI thatgels when mixed with water, which preferably also modifies additionalstarch or starches in the admixture into a plurality of differentmolecular weight polymers of a cold-water soluble gellant thatpolymerize forming a gel when mixed with water, preferably forming ahydrocolloid gel, which more preferably is a self-gelling gel, whicheven more preferably is a thermo-reversible gel crosslinked by one ormore proteins freed by or modified during extrusion. Preferredadmixtures configured to produce gelling extrudates include admixturescomposed of cereal grains, including sorghum, wheat, oats, barley and/orcorn, and/or legumes, including chick pea, yellow pea, pea and/orlentils with legume containing admixtures producing gelling extrudatesthat form thicker gels whose viscosity increases over time that are wellsuited for use in non-dairy dairy substitutes like non-dairy butter madeof a butter-like viscosity food emulsion made with a single component ordual component gelling food product constituent extrudate or extrudedgelling food product constituent composed of such a single component ordual component gelling food product constituent extrudate as aningredient thereof, a non-dairy creamer made of a creamer-likeconsistency and viscosity food emulsion made with a single component ordual component gelling food product constituent extrudate or extrudedgelling food product constituent composed of such a single component ordual component gelling food product constituent extrudate as aningredient thereof, non-dairy whipped cream made of a cream foodemulsion having a whipped cream consistency and viscosity made with asingle component or dual component gelling food product constituentextrudate or extruded gelling food product constituent composed of sucha single component or dual component gelling food product constituentextrudate as an ingredient thereof, non-dairy yogurt containing livecultures in a yogurt food emulsion made with a single component or dualcomponent gelling food product constituent extrudate or extruded gellingfood product constituent composed of such a single component or dualcomponent gelling food product constituent extrudate as an ingredientthereof, non-dairy cheese made of a cheese-like food emulsion or roomtemperature stable gel that is sliceable at room temperature and whichhas a consistency and viscosity of a dairy cheese that is made with asingle component or dual component gelling food product constituentextrudate or extruded gelling food product constituent of the presentinvention composed of such a single component or dual component gellingfood product constituent extrudate as an ingredient thereof extruded ofa legume, preferably chickpea and/or yellow pea admixture, and non-dairyice cream including vegan non-dairy substitutes like vegan non-dairybutter, vegan non-dairy creamers, vegan non-dairy whipped cream, vegannon-dairy yogurt, non-dairy cheese, and non-dairy ice cream.

Other embodiments and uses of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from consideration from the specification andpractice of the invention disclosed herein. All references cited hereinfor any reason, including all journal citations and U.S./foreign patentsand patent applications, are specifically and entirely incorporatedherein by reference. It is understood that the invention is not confinedto the specific materials, methods, formulations, operating/assayconditions, etc., herein illustrated and described, but embraces suchmodified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A food product comprised of a plurality of pairsof constituents, the food product comprising: (a) a food productconstituent that provides at least one of nutrition, taste, flavor,flavor intensity, smell, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel; and (b) anextruded gelling food product constituent comprised of starch modifiedduring extrusion into an extrusion-modified gelling starch that gelswhen wetted with water that imparts a gelling characteristic to the foodproduct comprised of the plurality of pairs of constituents when wettedwith water; and (c) water in an amount sufficient for the food productcomprised of the plurality of pairs of constituents to remain in aviscous state.
 2. A food product comprised of a plurality of pairs ofconstituents, the food product comprising: (a) a first food productconstituent that provides at least one of nutrition, taste, flavor,flavor intensity, smell, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel; and (b) a secondfood product constituent comprised of starch modified during extrusioninto an extrusion-modified gelling starch that gels when wetted withwater imparting a gelling characteristic to the food product comprisedof the plurality of pairs of constituents when wetted with water; and(c) a third food product constituent comprising water in an amountsufficient for the food product comprised of the plurality of pairs ofconstituents to remain in a viscous state.
 3. The food product of claim2, wherein the food product is comprised of a closed system wherein thewater in the food product remains in the food product.
 4. The foodproduct of claim 3, wherein the food product is comprised of a closedsystem wherein the water in the food product remains in the food productby the water being prevented from evaporating from the food product. 5.The food product of claim 4, wherein the closed system comprises apackage in which the food is packaged, the package comprising asubstantially sealed package that prevents water in the food fromevaporating out of the food.
 6. The food product of claim 2, wherein thesecond food product constituent comprises a gelling agent.
 7. The foodproduct of claim 7, wherein the food product comprises one of adairy-free cheese, a vegan dairy-free cheese, a dairy-free milk, a vegandairy-free milk, a dairy-free ice cream, a vegan dairy-free ice cream, adairy-free butter, a vegan dairy-free butter, a dairy-free culturedbutter, a vegan dairy-free cultured butter,
 8. The food product of claim6, wherein the food product comprises one of a dairy-free ice cream baseand a vegan dairy-free ice cream base.
 9. The food product of claim 6,wherein the one of the dairy-free ice cream base and the vegandairy-free ice cream base is used to make a corresponding one of adairy-free ice cream and a vegan dairy-free ice cream.
 10. The foodproduct of claim 2, wherein the second food product constituentcomprises a thickening agent.
 11. A food product comprised of aplurality of pairs of constituents, the food product comprising: (a) afirst food product constituent that provides at least one of nutrition,taste, flavor, flavor intensity, smell, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel;(b) a second food product constituent that provides at least one ofnutrition, taste, flavor, flavor intensity, smell, aroma, texture, andmouthfeel; (c) a third food product constituent comprising apregelatinized flour comprised of a starch binder formed of starchmodified during extrusion into an extrusion-modified pregelatinizedstarch comprising a binder when wetted with water, the third foodproduct constituent comprising a pregelatinized flour that comprises abinder when wetted with water and mixed with the first food productconstituent; wherein adding of the water to the first, second and thirdfood product constituents and mixing the water therewith produces ashelf-stable emulsion comprising the food product.
 12. The food productof claim 11, wherein the first, second and third food products are mixedtogether with a blender or mixer.
 13. The food product of claim 11,wherein the first, second and third food products are mixed together byor during extrusion.
 14. The food product of 13, wherein the first,second and third food products are mixed together with the water using ahigh shear mixer.
 15. A food product comprised of a plurality of pairsof constituents, the food product comprising: (a) a first food productconstituent that provides at least one of nutrition, taste, flavor,flavor intensity, smell, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel; (b) a secondfood product constituent that provides at least one of nutrition, taste,flavor, flavor intensity, smell, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel; and (c)a third food product constituent comprising a food productconstituent-binding flour containing starch modified during extrusioninto a water-soluble binder, the food product-constituent binding flourbinding together the first food product constituent and the second foodproduct constituent when mixed together with water.
 16. The food productof claim 15, wherein the food product constituent binding flour iscomprised of a starch-containing admixture extruded under a high enoughextrusion pressure such that at least some of the starch in theadmixture is modified thereby into a cold water soluble binder thatbinds together the first food product constituent and the second foodproduct constituent when a mixture comprised of the first food productconstituent, the second food product constituent, the food productconstituent binding flour is mixed together.
 17. The food product ofclaim 16, wherein the first food product constituent and the second foodproduct constituent are bound together by mixing the first food productconstituent, the second food product constituent, and the food productconstituent binding flour with water producing a food product mixturethat is dried to form the food product.
 18. The food product of claim17, wherein the food product formed after drying the food productmixture comprises a solid edible food snack.
 19. The food product ofclaim 18, wherein the food product is a solid edible food snackcomprised of one of a chip, a baked chip, a tortilla chip, a gluten-freetortilla chip, a baked tortilla chip, a baked gluten-free tortilla chip,a grain-free tortilla chip, a baked grain-free tortilla, a gluten-freegrain-free tortilla chip, a cracker, a baked cracker, a gluten-freecracker, a baked gluten-free cracker, a grain-free cracker, a bakedgrain-free cracker, a gluten-free grain-free cracker, a bakedgluten-free grain-free cracker, a crisp, a baked crisp, a gluten-freecrisp, a baked gluten-free crisp, a potato crisp, and a baked potatocrisp.
 20. The food product of claim 18, wherein the food product is asolid edible food snack comprised of one of a snack bar, a baked snackbar, a gluten-free snack bar, a baked gluten-free snack bar, agrain=free snack bar, a baked grain-free snack bar, a gluten-freegrain-free snack bar, a granola bar, a baked granola bar, a gluten-freegranola bar, and a baked gluten-free granola bar.